Microsoft has found itself in hot water once again as Russian hackers have implicated the company in a recent email breach. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant has started notifying more individuals that their emails were accessed by a group known as Midnight Blizzard or Nobelium, who were also responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds hack. This group has been connected to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service in the past, raising concerns about potential state-sponsored cyberattacks.
While Microsoft had previously informed some customers about their compromised emails, the company is now providing more specific details about the breach. A spokesperson stated, “This week we are continuing notifications to customers who corresponded with Microsoft corporate email accounts that were exfiltrated by the Midnight Blizzard threat actor, and we are providing the customers the email correspondence that was accessed by this actor.” In an effort to be transparent, Microsoft is offering increased detail to customers who were previously notified and sending out new notifications to affected individuals.
To notify customers about the breach, Microsoft has been sending emails, leading to concerns about potential phishing scams. The initial disclosure of the hack by Microsoft in January implicated a password spray attack that gave the hackers access to a small percentage of corporate email accounts. Among the compromised accounts were those belonging to senior leadership, cybersecurity professionals, and legal team members. Despite the fact that system vulnerabilities were not to blame for the breach, Microsoft has committed to enhancing its security measures to prevent future attacks.
The US Government is closely monitoring Microsoft in the wake of the breach, following a report from the Cyber Safety Review Board which criticized the company’s security culture as inadequate and in need of an overhaul. In response to these concerns, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an order in April requiring federal agencies to assess email security and fortify their cloud accounts. All affected agencies were instructed to provide regular updates on their efforts to mitigate the risks posed by these cyberattacks.
As the fallout from the breach continues to unfold, Microsoft is under increased scrutiny for its handling of the situation and the security measures in place to protect customer data. The company’s reputation is on the line as it works to address the concerns raised by government agencies and reassure customers that their information is safe. Only time will tell how Microsoft will navigate this latest cybersecurity crisis and what steps will be taken to prevent similar breaches in the future.