Microsoft says Russians are attacking US political groups ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Fake websites that were meant to look like two American conservative organisations and the US Senate have been created by a hacking group linked to the Russian government, Microsoft said. The fake pages spoofed right-wing organisations the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute.
Microsoft Corp. has detected and seized web domains created by cyber-attackers linked to the Russian military, in a potential attempt to manipulate and disrupt the U.S. midterm elections.
The shadowy group, known as Strontium, created domains that mimicked organizations such as the International Republican Institute and Hudson Institute so intended victims would believe they were receiving legitimate emails or visiting real sites, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post. Microsoft said it’s sifting through evidence of the group’s intentions after getting a court order to take over those domains, effectively disrupting the hacking campaign.
The two targeted institutions are conservative bastions, which at times have been at odds with Russia or U.S. President Donald Trump. Russia rejected Microsoft’s accusations that it was attempting to influence upcoming U.S. elections, which will determine control of Congress.
