The Sandworm group is likely one of the Kremlin’s most infamous cyberthreats, typically working within the shadows. Western intelligence beforehand tied the group to a 2015 assault that took down Ukraine’s energy grid, and to a different disruption of the Ukrainian energy grid in 2023. It’s a part of Russia’s GRU navy intelligence division, in response to the U.Ok. authorities.
The warnings come as European governments examine the rupture of two important undersea telecoms cables connecting EU international locations — within the newest incident of “hybrid” sabotage, disruption and digital assaults seen on Europe’s japanese border with Russia since Moscow invaded neighboring Ukraine in 2022.
It provides to the sector’s woes after this week’s sharp gasoline worth hike following an announcement by Russian large Gazprom that it was chopping off flows to high Austrian importer OMV because of a contractual dispute.
Sandra Joyce, head of risk intelligence at Google’s Mandiant cyber division, first raised the priority with high European officers on the Tallinn Digital Summit in Estonia Tuesday.
“That’s what they’re focusing on this morning as we’re sitting right here,” Joyce stated of Sandworm’s continued hacking makes an attempt on Europe’s power grid.
Google stated in April that Sandworm, additionally referred to as APT44 or Seashell Blizzard, “stays a formidable risk to Ukraine,” and that “so far, no different Russian government-backed cyber group has performed a extra central position in shaping and supporting Russia’s navy marketing campaign.”
