Hackers Target European Charities Helping Ukrainian Refugees

Hackers have had their sights set on European charity groups that are helping Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country following Russia’s invasion, Victor Zhora, the deputy chief of Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, told reporters Wednesday (March 23).

Zhora didn’t add much detail to his assertion, but his comments follow a report published earlier this month alleging that unidentified hackers were trying to disrupt European government personnel involved in helping the refugees flee the country, according to a Reuters report.

“We suppose that this is another proof of the spread of cyberwar to NATO countries,” Zhora told reporters.

More than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded it on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Those numbers make it the swiftest escape of refugees in Europe since the end of World War II, the report said.

Related: Visa CEO Predicts Long Ukraine War at Bloomberg Summit

Earlier this week at the Bloomberg Equality Summit, Visa CEO Al Kelly said the Ukrainian war is likely to drag on for a while due to Russia underestimating the opposition, adding that the situation is not likely to be something that goes on for “two or three weeks,” and that Visa would be “into it for the long term.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said there might be further interest rate increases in the next few months if inflation doesn’t fall soon. The Russian war in Ukraine and new COVID-19 cases in China are among the events that have made the outcomes less certain.

Also read: Okta Latest Target of Hacker Group Lapsus$

Meanwhile, digital authentication company Okta Inc. said it could have been affected by a security breach carried out by the hacker group Lapsus$, part of larger campaign by Lapsus$ that has also targeted Samsung, Ubisoft, Nvidia and Microsoft.

Okta said the hack may have compromised hundreds of customers, with the cybercriminals posting what were apparently internal screenshots from within the company’s network.