Cyber attack report for year 2022
December 2022. China-linked hackers launched phishing attacks against government, education, and research sector victims across the Asia Pacific. These attacks contained malware designed for espionage.
December 2022. Hackers launched email phishing attacks against Ukranian government agencies and state railway systems. The emails included information on kamikaze drone identification and deployed malware designed for espionage onto victim machines.
December 2022. Hackers obtained contact information for more than 80,000 members of FBI threat information sharing program, InfraGard. They then posted this information for sale on a cybercrime forum.
December 2022. Microsoft reported that it observed a pattern of attacks targeting Ukranian critical infrastructure from Russian hacking group, Sandworm. These attacks were accompanied by pro-Russian propaganda.
December 2022. The Human Rights Watch reported an ongoing, well-resourced cyber espionage, social engineering, and phishing campaign against human rights activists, journalists, diplomats, and politicians located across the Middle East. The organization attributed these operations to Iran-linked hackers.
December 2022. Hackers made Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture website unavailable through a DDoS attack. Italian officials described the attacks as “demonstrative” and claim that no data was breached and that they expect no lasting damage.
December 2022. Russia-linked hackers leveraged the networks of healthcare organizations, businesses, and critical infrastructures across the U.S., UK, France, and other countries to attack targets in Ukraine. Hackers’ primary motivations appear to be information stealing and disruption.
December 2022. Iran-linked hackers obtained and leaked data from government ministries in Saudi Arabia.
December 2022. Russia-linked hackers launched a DDoS attack against Vatican City servers, knocking its official website offline. The attack came three days after Russian government officials criticized Pope Francis for his comments about the war in Ukraine.
December 2022. Hackers launched a DDoS attack against the Danish defense ministry that disrupted access to its websites.
December 2022. Russia’s foreign minister claimed to be the target of coordinated cyber aggression by external intelligence agencies, IT companies, and hacktivists. According to Russian officials, such attacks have “doubled or tripled” over the past year.
December 2022. Chinese government-linked hackers stole at least $20 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the U.S. government, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance money. The U.S. Secret Service announced they retrieved half of the stolen funds thus far.
December 2022. Chinese-linked hackers targeted Amnesty International of Canada in an apparent espionage operation.
December 2022. A U.S. lawmaker predicted spyware hacks of U.S. government employees could be in the hundreds, including diplomats in multiple countries. This follows a probe into how many devices spyware are affected in the U.S. government.
November 2022. Hackers disrupted operations at an Indian hospital by cutting off access to its online networks and patient records. It took hospital officials and federal authorities nearly two weeks to regain access to hospital servers and recover lost data.
November 2022. Microsoft and ESET attributed cyberattacks aimed at the energy sector and logistics industries in Ukraine and Poland to a Russian GRU hacking group. The campaign began in late September 2022.
November 2022. Hackers targeted Bahraini government websites with DDoS attacks prior the country’s parliamentary and local elections.
November 2022. Iranian government-sponsored hackers compromised the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, exploiting the log4shell vulnerability as early as February 2022. After breaching the network, hackers installed cryptocurrency-mining software and deployed malware to obtain sensitive data.
November 2022. Hackers damaged Danish State Railways’ network after targeting an IT subcontractor’s software testing environment. The attack shut down train operations for several hours.
November 2022. An Indian-based hacking group targeted Pakistani politicians, generals and diplomats, deploying malware that enables the attacker access to computer cameras and microphones.
November 2022. State-sponsored hackers with possible ties to the Chinese government targeted multiple Asian countries in an espionage operation since March 2022, compromising a digital certificate authority in one country.
November 2022. Hackers disabled digital services of the Vanuatu government in a cyberattack. The attack affected all government services, disabling emails, websites, and government systems, with only partial access restored a month later. Australian sources stated the hack was a ransomware attack.
November 2022. Hackers targeted the Guadeloupe government, forcing the shutdown of all government computers to “protect data” during incident response and detect the scope of the attack.
November 2022. Indian hackers targeted Pakistani government entities, including the military, and companies since April 2020. The attacks enabled hackers to infiltrate systems and access computer controls.
November 2022. Suspected Chinese-linked hackers carried out an espionage campaign on public and private organizations in the Philippines, Europe, and the United States since 2021. The attacks used infected USB drives to deliver malware to the organizations.
November 2022. Chinese state-affiliated actors increased attacks on smaller nations in Southeast Asia for cyberespionage purposes.
October 2022. Hackers targeted a communications platform in Australia, which handles Department of Defence data, in a ransomware attack. The government believes hackers breached sensitive government data in this attack.
October 2022. A Ukrainian newspaper published hacked data claiming to be sensitive information from Russian defense contractors. The hackers responsible are part of an anti-Putin group in Russia.
October 2022. Hackers targeted Bulgarian websites belonging to the presidential administration, the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry, and the Constitutional Court in a DDoS attack. A pro-Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was punishment “for betrayal to Russia and the supply of weapons to Ukraine.”
October 2022. Hackers targeted several major U.S. airports with a DDoS attack, impacting their websites. A pro-Russian hacking group promoted the attack prior to its execution.
October 2022. Pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for an attack that knocked U.S. state government websites offline, including Colorado’s, Kentucky’s and Mississippi’s.
October 2022. CISA, the FBI, and NSA announced state-sponsored hacking groups had long-term access to a defense company since January 2021 and compromised sensitive company data.
September 2022. Iranian hackers targeted Albanian computer systems, forcing Albanian officials to temporarily shut down the Total Information Management System, a service used to track individuals entering and exiting Albania. This attack closely followed Albania’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Iran as well as the American sanctions and NATO’s condemnation of an Iranian cyberattack against Albania in July. In the July attack, Iranian actors deployed ransomware on Albanian Government networks that destroyed data and disrupted government services.
September 2022. A newly discovered hacking group targeted telecommunications, internet service providers, and universities in the Middle East and Africa. The group deploys malware platforms directly into systems’ memory, bypassing native security solutions.
September 2022. Hackers targeted Montenegro’s government networks, rendering Montenegro’s main state websites and government information platforms inaccessible. Montenegrin officials blamed Russia for the attack.
September 2022. Hackers targeted the state-level parliamentary website of Bosnia and Herzegovina, rendering the sites and servers inaccessible for multiple weeks.
September 2022. China accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of numerous cyberattacks against China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University. Authorities claim the NSA stole user data and infiltrated digital communications networks.
September 2022. The group Anonymous took responsibility for a series of cyberattacks against the Iranian government that took down two main Iranian government websites and the websites of several state media organizations.
September 2022. Hackers targeted the Mexican Defense Ministry and accessed six terabytes of data, including internal communications, criminal data, and data that revealed Mexico’s monitoring of Ken Salazar, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed the authenticity of the data, including personal health data released to the public.
September 2022. A Russian-based hacking group targeted the website of the United Kingdom’s intelligence agency MI5 with a DDoS attack that temporarily took the site offline.
August 2022. Hackers breached Italy’s energy agency, Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), compromising servers, blocking access to systems, and suspending access to the GSE website for a week.
August 2022. Hackers used a DDoS attack to temporarily take down the website of Taiwan’s presidential office. The Taiwanese government attributed the attack to foreign hackers and stated normal operations of the website resumed after 20 minutes. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry also noted hackers targeted their website and the main portal website for Taiwan’s government.
August 2022. Hackers targeted the Finnish Parliament with a DDoS attack that rendered the Parliamentary website inaccessible. A Russian group claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram.
August 2022. Hackers targeted the website of Ukraine’s state energy agency responsible for the oversight of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. The agency stated Russian hackers carried out the attack.
August 2022. Hackers targeted the website of the Latvian Parliament with a DDoS attack that temporarily paralyzed the website’s server. A Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram.
August 2022. Hackers targeted Greece’s largest natural gas distributor DESFA causing a system outage and data exposure.
August 2022. A Russian group claimed responsibility for breaching a privately owned UK water supply company South Staffordshire Water and leaking files in an extortion attempt.
August 2022. Hackers targeted Montenegro’s government institutions, breaching the computer systems of several state bodies. Montenegro’s Defense Minister stated there was sufficient evidence to suspect Russia was behind the attack.
August 2022. A DDoS campaign targeted the websites of both government and private Estonian institutions. Estonia stated that the attack was largely repelled, and the impact was limited.
August 2022. Hackers used phishing emails to deploy malware in government institutions and defense firms throughout Eastern Europe in January 2022. A report by Russian-based company Kaspersky linked the campaign to a Chinese hacking group.
July 2022. Hackers targeted the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in a spearfishing campaign to deploy malware and obtain sensitive files. Pakistani and Chinese organizations claimed the attack came from Indian-linked hackers.
July 2022. Hackers targeted Iran’s Islamic Culture and Communication Organization (ICCO). The attack took down at least 6 websites, placed images of Iranian resistance leaders on fifteen additional sites, wiped databases and computers, and allowed hackers to obtain access to sensitive ICCO data.
July 2022. A hacker claimed to acquire records on 1 billion Chinese from a Shanghai police database and posted the data for sale online.
July 2022. Belgium’s Foreign Ministry accused China of a cyberespionage campaign against Belgian targets, including Belgium’s Ministries of Interior and Defense. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Belgium denied the accusations.
July 2022. Hackers targeted social media accounts owned by the British Royal Army. The attack included the takeover of the British Army’s Twitter and YouTube accounts.
July 2022. Hackers targeted Lithuania’s state-owned energy provider in a DDoS attack. Killnet, which Lithuanian officials link to Russia, claimed responsibility for the attack.
July 2022. Hackers temporarily took down websites belonging to the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliament, and the e-Albania portal used to access public services.
July 2022. Hackers breached a Ukrainian media company to broadcast on multiple radio stations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in critical condition. Zelenskyy refuted the claims and blamed Russia for the attack.
July 2022. China stated the United States stole 97 billion pieces of global internet data and 124 billion pieces of telephone data in June, specifically blaming the National Security Agency (NSA)’s Office of Tailored Access Operations (TAO).
June 2022. Hackers targeted Lithuania’s state railway, airports, media companies, and government ministries with DDoS attacks. A Russian-backed hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack.
June 2022. The FBI, National Security Agency (NSA) and CISA announced that Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeted and breached major telecommunications companies and network service providers since at least 2020.
June 2022. Hackers targeted former Israeli officials, military personnel, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. An Israeli cybersecurity firm stated Iranian-linked actors used a phishing campaign to gain access to the targets’ inboxes, personally identifiable information, and identity documents.
June 2022. Hackers targeted three Iranian steel companies, forcing the country’s state-owned plant to halt production.
June 2022. Hackers leaked files and photos known as “The Xinjiang Police Files” displaying human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghur population.
June 2022. An attack targeted users of Australia’s largest Chinese-language platform, Media Today. The hackers made over 20 million attempts to reset user passwords in the platform’s registration system.
June 2022. Hackers targeted municipal public address systems in Jerusalem and Eliat, triggering the air raid sirens systems throughout both cities. An Israeli industrial cybersecurity firm attributed the attack to Iran.
June 2022. A Chinese-linked disinformation campaign targeted an Australian mining company. The campaign included spreading disinformation on social media platforms and websites regarding the company’s alleged environmental record.
June 2022. A phishing campaign targeted U.S. organizations in military, software, supply chain, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sectors to compromise Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook accounts.
June 2022. Hackers compromised accounts belonging to officials in Germany’s Greens party, including ones used previously by Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, who now serve as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
June 2022. Hackers targeted Norwegian public institutions with DDoS attacks, disrupting government websites. The Norwegian NSM security authority attributed the attack to pro-Russian hackers.
May 2022. A DDoS attack targeted the Port of London Authority, forcing its website to go offline. A group linked to Iran took responsibility for the hack.
May 2022. A phishing campaign targeted the Jordan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Researchers attributed the attack to an Iranian cyber espionage actor.
May 2022. The Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency (INSA) stated hackers targeted the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ethiopia’s communications security agency thwarted the attacks before hackers could gain access to the networks.
May 2022. Hackers targeted Greenland’s healthcare system, causing networks to crash throughout the island. While an initial diagnosis determined the attack did not damage or expose citizens’ data, it made health services severely limited.
May 2022. A Chinese hacking group stole intellectual property assets from U.S and European companies since 2019 and went largely undetected. Researchers believe the group is backed by the Chinese government.
May 2022. State-sponsored hackers took down RuTube, the Russian version of YouTube, according to the company.
May 2022. Russian hackers hit Italian websites with a DDoS attack, including the Senate, the Ministry of Defence, and the National Health Institute. The group states its goal was to target NATO countries and Ukraine.
April 2022. The Romanian National Directorate of Cyber Security said that multiple public and private sector websites were hit with DDoS attacks. The victims included the ministry of defense, border police, national railway company, and the OTP Bank. A group claiming credit for the attack said on Telegram that it hacked the websites because Romania supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country.
April 2022. Cybersecurity researchers identified a new campaign by Russian-linked hackers that started in January and targets diplomats and embassy officials from France, Poland, Portugal, and other countries. The hacks started with a phishing email to deliver a malware-laden file to the target.
April 2022. Iranian state television claimed that the government foiled cyber intrusions that targeted more than 100 public sector agencies. They provided no further information on the incident.
April 2022. Russian hackers targeted the Costa Rican Ministry of Finance in a cyberattack, crippling tax collection and export systems. The newly elected President of Costa Rica declared a national emergency as a result of the attack and the group asked for $20 million in ransom or it plans to leak the stolen data.
April 2022. Hackers targeted members of the European Commission with spyware developed by NSO Group. An Apple notification from November to thousands of iPhone users stating they were targeted by state-sponsored actor alerted the Commission of this spyware use.
April 2022. A North Korea-linked hacking campaign using phishing emails sent from fake job recruiters targeted chemical companies in South Korea.
April 2022. A Citizen Lab study discovered actors used NSO Group spyware to target at least 65 Catalonian activists and political figures.
April 2022. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control attributed the March 29 hack of Ronin Network to a North Korean hacking group and announced sanctions against the hackers. The group stole over $540 million in Ethereum and USDC.
April 2022. Hackers launched DDoS attacks against websites belonging to the Finnish Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. The attack’s botnet used over 350 IP addresses from around the world and the denial of service was sustained for four hours.
April 2022. Hackers targeted the Telegram accounts of Ukrainian government officials with a phishing attack in an attempt to gain access to the accounts.
April 2022. Cybersecurity researchers observed hackers penetrating the networks of at least 7 Indian State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDCs) which oversee operations for electrical grid control. The SLDCs manage SCADA systems and researchers suggested that PLA-linked hackers may be involved.
April 2022. A social media platform disrupted two Iranian-linked cyber espionage campaigns that targeted activists, academics, and private companies. The campaign targeted businesses in the energy, semiconductor, and telecom sectors in countries including the U.S., Israel, Russia, and Canada by using phishing and other social engineering techniques.
April 2022. A group targeted several Ukrainian media organizations in an attempt to gain long-term access to their networks and collect sensitive information, according to researchers. The group has connections to the Russian GRU.
April 2022. The United States removed Russian malware from computer networks around the world, a move made public by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. While it is unclear what the malware’s intention was, authorities noted it could be used from anything from surveillance to destructive attacks. The malware created a botnet controlled by the Russian GRU.
April 2022. Hackers targeted a Ukrainian energy facility, but CERT-UA and private sector assistance largely thwarted attempts to shutdown electrical substations in Ukraine. Researchers believe the attack came from the same group with ties to the Russian GRU that targeted Ukraine’s power grid in 2016, using an updated form of the same malware.
April 2022: Hackers targeted Ukraine’s National Post Office with a DDoS attack, days after releasing a new stamp honoring a Ukrainian border guard. Th attack affected the agency’s ability to run their online store.