Google Says Russian Espionage Crew Behind New Malware Campaign

Google researchers say they have evidence that a notorious Russian-linked hacking group -- tracked as "Cold River" -- is evolving its tactics beyond phishing to target victims with data-stealing malware. From a report: Cold River, also known as "Callisto Group" and "Star Blizzard," is known for conducting long-running espionage campaigns against NATO countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. Researchers believe the group's activities, which typically target high-profile individuals and organizations involved in international affairs and defense, suggest close ties to the Russian state. U.S. prosecutors in December indicted two Russian nationals linked to the group. Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) said in new research this week that it has observed Cold River ramping up its activity in recent months and using new tactics capable of causing more disruption to its victims, predominantly targets in Ukraine and its NATO allies, academic institutions and non-government organizations. These latest findings come soon after Microsoft researchers reported that the Russia-aligned hacking group had improved its ability to evade detection. In research shared with TechCrunch ahead of its publication on Thursday, TAG researchers say that Cold River has continued to shift beyond its usual tactic of phishing for credentials to delivering malware via campaigns using PDF documents as lures.

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