NSA discloses hacking methods it claims are used by Russia | Fox ...

Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo discusses on 'The Story'U.S. and British agencies disclosed on Thursday details of "brute force" methods they say have been used by Russian intelligence to try to break into the cloud services of hundreds of government agencies, energy companies and other organizations.An advisory released by the U.S. National Security Agency describes attacks by operatives linked to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, which has been previously tied to major cyberattacks abroad and efforts to disrupt the 2016 and 2020 American elections.In a statement, NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce said the campaign was "likely ongoing, on a global scale."PUTIN: US AND BRITAIN BOTH BEHIND BLACK SEA ‘PROVOCATION’Brute force attacks involve the automated spraying of sites with potential passwords until hackers gain access. ( )CHINA, RUSSIA, EXPLOITING UNITED NATIONS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST US INTERESTS, REPORT SAYSSlowik said the use of Kubernetes "is certainly a bit unique, although on its own it doesn’t appear worrying." He said the brute force method and lateral movement inside networks described by NSA are common among state-backed hackers and criminal ransomware gangs, allowing the GRU to blend in with other actors.John Hultquist, vice president of analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, characterized the activity described in the advisory as "routine collection against policy makers, diplomats, the military, and the defense industry.""This is a good reminder that the GRU remains a looming threat, which is especially important given the upcoming Olympics, an event they may well attempt to disrupt," Hultquist said in a statement.The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency joined the advisory, as did the British National Cyber Security Centre.The GRU has been repeatedly linked by U.S. officials in recent years to a series of hacking incidents.