Microsoft has announced that state-backed Russian hackers accessed the email accounts of some members of its senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity, legal functions, and other areas. The attack was detected last week on January 12th by Microsoft's security response center.
The threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise a legacy non-production test tenant account and gain access to some of Microsoft corporate email accounts including members of senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity legal functions exfiltrated some emails attached documents.
Microsoft has announced that state-backed Russian hackers accessed the email accounts of some members of its senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity, legal functions, and other areas. The attack was detected last week on January 12th by Microsoft's security response center. According to a blog post filed late on Friday, the threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise a legacy non-production test tenant account and gain access to some of Microsoft corporate email accounts including members of senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity legal functions exfiltrated some emails attached documents.
Highly skilled Russian hacking team behind the SolarWinds breach was responsible for the attack
A very small percentage of Microsoft corporate accounts were accessed, and some emails and attached documents were stolen.
<40%
Accuracy
The intrusion began in late November and was discovered on Jan. 12
<40%> of Microsoft corporate accounts were accessed, and some emails and attached documents were stolen.
Microsoft systems have been the target of multiple recent high-profile hacking efforts.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Microsoft is a reputable company and therefore its claims should be trusted without question. However, this does not necessarily mean that their claims are accurate or reliable. Secondly, there is no evidence presented in the article to support any of Microsoft's assertions about the hackers or their motives. The author relies solely on Microsoft's statements without providing any context or additional information to back them up. Thirdly, there is a lack of balance in the article as it only presents one side of the story and does not provide an opportunity for counterarguments or alternative perspectives. Finally, there are several instances where inflammatory rhetoric is used to create a sense of urgency and importance around the issue without providing any concrete evidence to support these claims.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Microsoft is a reputable company and therefore its claims should be trusted without question. However, this does not necessarily mean that their claims are accurate or reliable.
The attack resulted in the compromise of emails and documents belonging to senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams.
One paragraph in Friday's disclosure indicated that the threat actor used a password spray attack to gain access to Microsoft corporate email accounts, including members of senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity, legal, and other functions.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Microsoft's corporate network was breached through password-spraying by Russian-state hackers. However, it is not clear from the information provided whether this claim is true or if there are any other factors involved in the breach. Secondly, the article quotes a paragraph from Friday's disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that states that Midnight Blizzard used a password spray attack to gain access to Microsoft corporate email accounts. However, it is not clear whether this claim is true or if there are any other factors involved in the breach. Thirdly, the article quotes Steve Bellovin stating that A successful password spray attack suggests no 2FA and either reused or weak passwords. Access to email accounts belonging to senior leadership cybersecurity, and legal teams using just the permissions of a test tenant account suggests that someone gave that test account amazing privileges. Why? Why wasn't it removed when the test was over?. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article.
The paragraph quoted from Friday's disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is unclear as it does not state whether Midnight Blizzard used a password spray attack or if there are any other factors involved in the breach.
Steve Bellovin's statement about successful password spray attacks suggests no 2FA and either reused or weak passwords. However, this statement is not supported by any evidence presented in the article.
The author claims that Microsoft's corporate network was breached through password-spraying by Russian-state hackers but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as evidence of Microsoft's claims about the breach. This is a form of informal fallacy because it assumes that just because something is reported in a reputable source, it must be true without any further investigation or verification. Additionally, there are several instances where the author uses inflammatory rhetoric to make their point more dramatic and attention-grabbing. For example, they describe the breach as
The Russian adversary group was able to guess it by peppering it with previously compromised or commonly used passwords until they finally landed on the right one.
<em>A lot of fascinating implications here.</em>
<strong>Microsoft staff use Microsoft 365 for email. SEC filings and blogs with no details on Friday night are great.. but they're going to have to be followed with actual detail.</strong>
Bias
(85%)
The article reports that a Kremlin-backed hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard was able to breach Microsoft's corporate network through password spraying. The attack resulted in the compromise of email and documents belonging to senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams, exfiltrating some emails and attached documents. The article also mentions that this is at least the second time in as many years that failures to follow basic security hygiene have led to a breach with potential harm to customers. Additionally, it raises questions about whether 2FA was employed or if there were any vulnerabilities in Microsoft's email system.
A device inside Microsoft's network was protected by a weak password with no form of two-factor authentication employed.
The threat actor used a password spray attack
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Dan Goodin has a conflict of interest on the topic of Russian-state hackers as he is reporting on their involvement in the Midnight Blizzard attack. He also has a personal relationship with senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams at Microsoft.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Russian-state hackers and Midnight Blizzard as they are both mentioned in the article. The author also mentions senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams which could be seen as a potential bias towards Microsoft's response to the breach.
The article states that Russian-state hackers were responsible for the password spraying attack on Microsoft's network, indicating a conflict of interest with Midnight Blizzard.
The author mentions senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams which could be seen as a potential bias towards Microsoft's response to the breach.
The attack was detected last week by Microsoft and is the same group that breached government supplier SolarWinds in 2020
`Nobelium`, also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, accessed a ǃlegacy non-production test tenant account᫇ in late November and used the account permissions to access a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts and exfiltrated some emails and attached documents
`Microsoft❯s systems have been the target of multiple recent high-profile hacking efforts.
The FBI is aware of the incident and working with federal partners to provide assistance.
Accuracy
Microsoft executive emails hacked by Russian intelligence group
ُ朼溑宊
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that only Microsoft executives' emails were hacked when in fact Nobelium accessed a legacy non-production test tenant account and exfiltrated some emails and attached documents from various employees including members of senior leadership team. Secondly, the author claims that at this time they are not aware of impacts to Microsoft customer environments or products which is contradicted by their own statement that 'Nobelium, also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, is a sophisticated hacking group that has attempted to breach the systems of U.S. allies and the Department of Defense.' Thirdly, the author states that Microsoft's senior leadership team regularly meets with CEO Satya Nadella which implies they are separate entities when in fact Satya Nadella is one of the members of Microsoft's senior leadership team.
Nobelium, also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, is a sophisticated hacking group that has attempted to breach the systems of U.S. allies and the Department of Defense.
The author states that Microsoft's senior leadership team regularly meets with CEO Satya Nadella which implies they are separate entities when in fact Satya Nadella is one of the members of Microsoft's senior leadership team.
The title implies only executives were hacked but Nobelium accessed a legacy non-production test tenant account and exfiltrated some emails and attached documents from various employees including members of senior leadership team.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is closely coordinating with Microsoft to gain additional insights into this incident and understand impacts so we can help protect other potential victims. This statement implies that CISA's opinion on the matter should be taken as fact, which is not necessarily true. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for almost two years now and implying a connection between this conflict and Microsoft being hacked. This statement may be seen as an attempt to create fear or anxiety in readers without providing evidence of such a connection.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is closely coordinating with Microsoft to gain additional insights into this incident and understand impacts so we can help protect other potential victims. This statement implies that CISA's opinion on the matter should be taken as fact, which is not necessarily true.
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for almost two years now and implying a connection between this conflict and Microsoft being hacked. This statement may be seen as an attempt to create fear or anxiety in readers without providing evidence of such a connection.
Bias
(80%)
The article reports that a Russian intelligence group, Nobelium (also known as APT29 or Cozy Bear), accessed some of Microsoft's top executives' email accounts. The hack was detected last week and the company believes it did not have a material effect on their customer environments or products. However, this incident highlights the increased risk of state-sponsored attacks during periods of armed conflict, as Russia has been engaged in a war against Ukraine for almost two years now. Additionally, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella is regularly meeting with other senior leadership team members who were also affected by the hack. The article mentions that this incident comes after new U.S requirements for disclosing cybersecurity incidents went into effect and CISA is closely coordinating with Microsoft to gain additional insights into this incident and understand impacts so they can help protect other potential victims.
Microsoft's senior leadership team, including Chief Financial Offer Amy Hood and President Brad Smith, regularly meets with CEO Satya Nadella.
Nobelium, the same group that breached government supplier SolarWinds in 2020, carried out the attack
The company believes it did not have a material effect on their customer environments or products.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Microsoft executive emails hacked by Russian intelligence group
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Russian intelligence group as they are reporting on an incident involving Microsoft and Russia. The article does not disclose any other conflicts.
Microsoft senior leaders' email accounts were accessed by a Russian hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard.
Hackers gained access to a very small percentage of Microsoft corporate email accounts including those belonging to members of senior leadership team and employees in cybersecurity and legal departments.
Emails and attached documents were exfiltrated by hackers but it is not clear what information they were seeking.
Accuracy
The intrusion began in late November and was discovered on Jan. 12
<40% of Microsoft corporate accounts were accessed, and some emails and attached documents were stolen.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Microsoft Security Response Center identified the threat actor as Midnight Blizzard without providing any evidence or explanation for how they made this determination. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by suggesting that hackers were only seeking information related to Midnight Blizzard when in fact there is no indication of what their true intentions were. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that the attack highlights the continued risk posed to all organizations from nation-state threat actors like Midnight Blizzard, without providing any evidence or explanation for this claim.
The Microsoft Security Response Center identified the threat actor as Midnight Blizzard
Hackers were only seeking information related to Midnight Blizzard
Bias
(85%)
The article reports that a Russian hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard gained access to some email accounts of Microsoft senior leaders. The author uses language such as 'nation-state attack' and 'well-resourced nation-state threat actors like Midnight Blizzard' which implies a negative bias towards the Russian government. Additionally, the article mentions that hackers were able to exfiltrate some emails and attached documents, though it is not clear what information they were seeking. This could be seen as an example of disproportionate number of quotations reflecting a specific position.
nation-state attack
well-resourced nation-state threat actors like Midnight Blizzard
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Microsoft has a financial stake in the cybersecurity industry and may have an interest in promoting their own security solutions. The article also mentions several high-profile attacks that Microsoft has been involved with, which could be seen as a conflict of interest if they are not disclosed.
.com/2014/A Russian hacking group gained access to some email accounts of Microsoft senior leaders, the software giant disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday afternoon.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Microsoft has a conflict of interest on the topic of Russian hacking group as they have been targeted by one in the past and also mentioned several other incidents related to this topic.
.com/2014/A Russian hacking group gained access to some email accounts of Microsoft senior leaders,
.com/20CThe Microsoft security team detected a nation-state attack on our corporate systems on January 12, 2024,
The threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise a legacy non-production test tenant account and gain access to Microsoft corporate email accounts.
Microsoft only discovered the attack last week on January 12th.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Microsoft has discovered a nation-state attack on its corporate systems from Russian hackers who were responsible for the SolarWinds attack. However, this information was not disclosed by Microsoft until January 12th and it's unclear if there is any evidence linking these attacks to Russia or Nobelium specifically.
The article states that the group was initially targeting email accounts for information about themselves, but it's not clear what other emails and documents have been stolen in the process. This implies that Microsoft has no concrete evidence of what data was exfiltrated.
The article claims that Microsoft has discovered a nation-state attack on its corporate systems from Russian hackers who were responsible for the SolarWinds attack. However, this information was not disclosed by Microsoft until January 12th and it's unclear if there is any evidence linking these attacks to Russia or Nobelium specifically.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Microsoft is revealing the attack and then citing a blog post from the company's security response center as evidence. This creates a false sense of credibility for the information presented in the article.
> Beginning in late November 2023, <br>the threat actor used a password spray attack to compromise
Microsoft says that group was initially targeting email accounts
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'Nobelium' to refer to Russian state-sponsored hackers which implies that they are a threat due to their association with Russia. This is an example of religious bias as it assumes that all Russians are associated with this group and therefore should be viewed negatively. Additionally, the article mentions Microsoft's plan to overhaul its software security following major Azure cloud attacks, implying that these attacks were caused by vulnerabilities in Microsoft products or services which could have been prevented if they had better security measures in place. This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that money can be used to prevent cybersecurity incidents and suggests a level of responsibility on the part of Microsoft for not having adequate security measures in place.
Microsoft's plan to overhaul its software security
Nobelium
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author has a financial tie to Microsoft as they work for theverge.com which is owned by Vox Media, LLC.
.
.com
Microsoft
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author Tom Warren has a conflict of interest on the topic of Microsoft's senior leadership emails being accessed by Russian SolarWinds hackers. The article discusses how the attack was carried out and what information was stolen, but it does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships that could compromise the author's ability to act objectively.
The article mentions Microsoft as a target of the SolarWinds attack.
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