Microsoft officials have warned that Russian hackers are using the Internet of Things IoT as a path to intrusion : Hackers working for the Russian government are using printers, video decoders and other IoT devices as a bridge to penetrate targeted computer networks.

The Microsoft Threat Center through a blog that these devices have become a magnet for the entry of hackers to the network and establish a presence within them, as they continue to search for more access.

According to this post, Microsoft security researchers first discovered these attacks in April, noting that the hackers had hacked into a desktop printer, VOIP phone and video decoder in multiple locations.

Once hackers have successfully accessed the network, scanning the network for other insecure devices allows them to detect the network and navigate for accounts with higher privileges that give access to higher-value data.

Each of these hackers connected to a server belonging to Strontium, a Russian government hacking group known as Fancy Bear or APT28. The FBI found last year that the hacking group was responsible for infecting more than 500,000 routers in 54 countries with malicious software called VPNFilter.

The experts linked the Strantium group to several piracy operations, including the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2016; the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament; and the French television station (TV5Monde).

Microsoft said last month it alerted nearly 10,000 customers last year to being targeted by local hackers, and Strontium was one of the hacker groups that Microsoft named.

Source : Microsoft