Be aware: Russian hackers target critical national infrastructure, warns NCSC

TLDR:

• Russian-aligned groups are targeting the UK’s critical national infrastructure with cyber attacks.
• These groups are motivated by ideology and are evolving to potentially cause more widespread disruptions.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning about a new wave of cyber threats from Russian-aligned groups targeting the UK’s critical national infrastructure. These groups have evolved over the past 18 months and operate with autonomy, making their actions unpredictable. Their primary motivation appears to be ideological, aiming to disrupt rather than seek financial gain.

The NCSC highlights the less constrained nature of these groups compared to traditional state-controlled cyber espionage units, allowing them to target a wider range of sectors. There is a growing concern that their ambitions are escalating towards more destructive attacks against critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, telecommunications, and transportation.

To combat these evolving threats, the NCSC recommends that organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture immediately. By following the NCSC’s guidance on secure system administration and employing measures like the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), organizations can better protect themselves against these increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.