DOJ, Microsoft disrupt Russian hacking operations aimed at US officials and civil society [Video]

The Justice Department and Microsoft on Thursday announced the seizure of more than 100 web domains that a Russian intelligence agency allegedly used to try to hack current and former U.S. officials, civil-society groups and Russians living in the U.S.The sweeping hacking campaign sought to gather intelligence on U.S. and allied efforts to support Ukraine, and to infiltrate and undermine pro-democracy and human rights organizations in the U.S., United Kingdom and Eastern Europe, according to U.S. officials and private experts.It’s the latest in a series of moves from the Justice Department to expose alleged covert Russian operations targeting U.S. democracy in the runup to the 2024 presidential election. In this case, the hackers did not directly target political campaigns or election infrastructure; rather they aimed to degrade the civil-society groups that support functioning democracies, according to Microsoft.From January 2023 to August 2024, the hackers targeted 30 organizations such as media …