Russia, China Enlist Cyber Gangs to Target US and Allies: Microsoft

Microsoft is urging the United States and its allies to collaborate in deterring state-backed cybercriminals, warning that adversaries such as Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly relying on hackers, who face no “meaningful consequences” for their violations. Microsoft’s annual digital threats report, published on Oct. 15, looks into cybercriminal activities that occurred between July 2023 and June 2024. The company says its customers face more than 600 million such incidents every day. Analyzing those attacks, Microsoft said it is seeing “increasingly blurred lines” between actions directed by Moscow or Beijing and those of cybercrime gangs. While these criminal groups usually focus on financial gains, they’re now more involved in advancing the goals of nation-states, aiding in espionage and destabilization efforts aimed at geopolitical rivals....