Threat actors

Microsoft actively discovers and tracks threat actors across observed state-sponsored, ransomware, and criminal activities. Get insights from the 60 nation-state actors, 50 ransomware groups, and hundreds of other attackers we’ve tracked.

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Modernize your Security Operations Center with Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM solution powered by AI and automation that delivers intelligent security analytics across your entire enterprise.
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June 14, 2023

13 min read

Cadet Blizzard emerges as a novel and distinct Russian threat actor

Microsoft attributes several campaigns to a distinct Russian state-sponsored threat actor tracked as Cadet Blizzard (DEV-0586), including the WhisperGate destructive attack, Ukrainian website defacements, and the hack-and-leak front “Free Civilian”.
July 11, 2023

7 min read

Storm-0978 attacks reveal financial and espionage motives

Microsoft has identified a phishing campaign conducted by the threat actor tracked as Storm-0978 targeting defense and government entities in Europe and North America.
July 14, 2023

10 min read

Analysis of Storm-0558 techniques for unauthorized email access

Analysis of the techniques used by the threat actor tracked as Storm-0558 (now tracked as Antique Typhoon) for obtaining unauthorized access to email data, tools, and unique infrastructure characteristics.
August 2, 2023

6 min read

Midnight Blizzard conducts targeted social engineering over Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Threat Intelligence has identified highly targeted social engineering attacks using credential theft phishing lures sent as Microsoft Teams chats by the threat actor that Microsoft tracks as Midnight Blizzard (previously tracked as NOBELIUM).
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August 24, 2023

13 min read

Flax Typhoon using legitimate software to quietly access Taiwanese organizations

China-based actor Flax Typhoon is exploiting known vulnerabilities for public-facing servers, legitimate VPN software, and open-source malware to gain access to Taiwanese organizations, but not taking further action.
September 12, 2023

8 min read

Malware distributor Storm-0324 facilitates ransomware access

The threat actor that Microsoft tracks as Storm-0324 is a financially motivated group known to gain initial access using email-based initial infection vectors and then hand off access to compromised networks to other threat actors.
September 14, 2023

10 min read

Peach Sandstorm password spray campaigns enable intelligence collection at high-value targets

Since February 2023, Microsoft has observed a high volume of password spray attacks attributed to Peach Sandstorm, an Iranian nation-state group.
October 11, 2023

10 min read

Automatic disruption of human-operated attacks through containment of compromised user accounts

User containment is a unique and innovative defense mechanism that stops human-operated attacks in their tracks.
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October 18, 2023

10 min read

Multiple North Korean threat actors exploiting the TeamCity CVE-2023-42793 vulnerability

Since early October 2023, Microsoft has observed North Korean nation-state threat actors Diamond Sleet and Onyx Sleet exploiting the Jet Brains TeamCity CVE-2023-42793 remote-code execution vulnerability.
October 25, 2023

17 min read

Octo Tempest crosses boundaries to facilitate extortion, encryption, and destruction

Microsoft has been tracking activity related to the financially motivated threat actor Octo Tempest, whose evolving campaigns represent a growing concern for many organizations across multiple industries.
November 9, 2023

6 min read

Microsoft shares threat intelligence at CYBERWARCON 2023

At the CYBERWARCON 2023 conference, Microsoft and LinkedIn analysts are presenting several sessions detailing analysis across multiple sets of threat actors and related activity, demonstrating Microsoft Threat Intelligence’s ongoing efforts to track threat actors, protect customers, and share information with the wider security community.
November 22, 2023

7 min read

Diamond Sleet supply chain compromise distributes a modified CyberLink installer

Microsoft has uncovered a supply chain attack by the threat actor Diamond Sleet (ZINC) involving a malicious variant of an application developed by CyberLink Corp.