Russia-linked hackers broke into more than 170 email accounts belonging to prosecutors and investigators across Ukraine during the last several ​months, according to data reviewed by Reuters, a campaign that shows how Moscow’s spies are keeping tabs on the Ukrainian officials tasked with rooting out corruption and Russian ‌collaborators.

Russia-Linked Group Accused of Targeting Ukrainian Prosecutors by Email Hacks

Microsoft Corp said it has tracked "significant" cyberattacks coming from a group it calls "Strontium" or "Fancy Bear", targeting anti-doping authorities and global <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-indicts-russian-military-agents-in-hacking-case-169487">sporting organizations</a>.

The group, also called APT28, has been linked to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hacking-the-hackers-russian-group-hijacked-iranian-spying-operation-officials-say-257200">Russian government</a>, Microsoft said in a blog post.&nbsp;

At least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations across three continents were targeted in the attacks which began on September&nbsp;16, according to the company.

The company said some of these attacks had been successful, but the majority had not. Microsoft has notified all customers targeted in these attacks.

Strontium, one of the world's oldest cyber espionage groups, has also been called Sofancy and Pawn Storm by a range of security firms and government officials. Security firm CrowdStrike has said the group may be associated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU.

Microsoft said Strontium reportedly released medical records and emails taken from sporting organizations and anti-doping officials in 2016 and 2018, resulting in an indictment in a federal court in the United States in 2018.

The software giant added that the methods used in the most recent attacks were similar to those used by Strontium to target governments, militaries, think-tanks, law firms, human rights organizations, financial firms and universities around the world.

Strontium's methods include spear-phishing, password spray, exploiting internet-connected devices and the use of both open-source and custom malware, it added.

Microsoft has in the past taken legal steps o prevent Strontium from using fake Microsoft internet domains to execute its attacks.

By August last year, Microsoft had shut down 84 fake websites in 12 court-approved actions over the past two years.&nbsp;

Microsoft said at the time that hackers linked to Russia's government sought to launch cyber attacks on US political groups. 
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Microsoft Corp said it has tracked "significant" cyberattacks coming from a group it calls "Strontium" or "Fancy Bear", targeting anti-doping authorities and global sporting organizations.

Microsoft Corp said it has tracked "significant" cyberattacks coming from a group it calls "Strontium" or "Fancy Bear", targeting anti-doping authorities and global sporting organizations. The group, also called APT28, has been linked to the Russian government, Microsoft said in a blog post. At least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations across three continents were targeted in the attacks which began on September 16, according to the company. The company said some of these attacks had been successful, but the majority had not. Microsoft has notified all customers targeted in these attacks. Strontium, one of the world's oldest cyber espionage groups, has also been called Sofancy and Pawn Storm by a range of security firms and government officials. Security firm CrowdStrike has said the group may be associated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. Microsoft said Strontium reportedly released medical records and emails taken from sporting organizations and anti-doping officials in 2016 and 2018, resulting in an indictment in a federal court in the United States in 2018. The software giant added that the methods used in the most recent attacks were similar to those used by Strontium to target governments, militaries, think-tanks, law firms, human rights organizations, financial firms and universities around the world. Strontium's methods include spear-phishing, password spray, exploiting internet-connected devices and the use of both open-source and custom malware, it added. Microsoft has in the past taken legal steps o prevent Strontium from using fake Microsoft internet domains to execute its attacks. By August last year, Microsoft had shut down 84 fake websites in 12 court-approved actions over the past two years. Microsoft said at the time that hackers linked to Russia's government sought to launch cyber attacks on US political groups.

Russian government-linked hackers targeting anti-doping authorities, sports organizations: Microsoft

The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the hack of its database by a Russian group on Tuesday. 
 
WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bear, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database, AFP reported. 
 
A Russian hacker group had claimed to have accessed World Anti-Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) confidential database and published information on four prominent US athletes earlier on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act,&quot; WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
The group alleged that athletes like Williams sisters and Rio Olympics gold medallist Simone Biles were allowed to consume banned substances by WADA. 
 
&quot;After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive,&quot; the Fancy Bears&#39; group claimed on its website. 
 
Certain illnesses or conditions may require the athlete to take particular drugs. If those drugs fall under WADA&#39;s prohibition list, a therapeutic use exemption can be given, allowing the athlete to take the needed medicine. 
 
The group alleged that WADA and International Olympic Committee &#39;s (IOC) Medical and Scientific Department were corrupt as they approved the athletes&#39; certificates for therapeutic use. 
 
&quot;As predicted, the USA dominated the 2016 Olympics medal count with 46 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze for 121 total. The US team played well but not fair,&quot; the group said. 
 
According to the Fancy Bears&#39; group, Serena was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015, Press Trust of India reported. 
 
Venus was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone, and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. 
 
&quot;The IOC strongly condemns such methods, which clearly aim at tarnishing the reputation of clean athletes,&quot; a spokeswoman for the IOC told AFP. &nbsp;&quot;The IOC can confirm however that the athletes mentioned did not violate any anti-doping rules during the Olympic Games Rio 2016.&quot; 
 
This is that second attack on the organisation since August. Last month, Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova&#39;s file had been accessed by hackers. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

The group alleged that athletes like Williams sisters and Rio gold medallist Simone Biles were allowed to consume banned substances by WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the hack of its database by a Russian group on Tuesday. WADA said in a statement that the Russian cyber espionage group Tsar Team (APT28), also known as Fancy Bear, had broken into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) database, AFP reported. A Russian hacker group had claimed to have accessed World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) confidential database and published information on four prominent US athletes earlier on Tuesday. "WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. The group alleged that athletes like Williams sisters and Rio Olympics gold medallist Simone Biles were allowed to consume banned substances by WADA. "After detailed studying of the hacked WADA databases we figured out that dozens of American athletes had tested positive," the Fancy Bears' group claimed on its website. Certain illnesses or conditions may require the athlete to take particular drugs. If those drugs fall under WADA's prohibition list, a therapeutic use exemption can be given, allowing the athlete to take the needed medicine. The group alleged that WADA and International Olympic Committee 's (IOC) Medical and Scientific Department were corrupt as they approved the athletes' certificates for therapeutic use. "As predicted, the USA dominated the 2016 Olympics medal count with 46 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze for 121 total. The US team played well but not fair," the group said. According to the Fancy Bears' group, Serena was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015, Press Trust of India reported. Venus was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone, and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. "The IOC strongly condemns such methods, which clearly aim at tarnishing the reputation of clean athletes," a spokeswoman for the IOC told AFP. "The IOC can confirm however that the athletes mentioned did not violate any anti-doping rules during the Olympic Games Rio 2016." This is that second attack on the organisation since August. Last month, Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova's file had been accessed by hackers. (WION with inputs from AFP)

World Anti-Doping Agency confirms hack by Russian group

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Russia-Linked Group Accused of Targeting Ukrainian Prosecutors by Email Hacks

Russian government-linked hackers targeting anti-doping authorities, sports organizations: Microsoft

World Anti-Doping Agency confirms hack by Russian group