Microsoft has effectively acquired domains used by APT28, a Russian military intelligence-sponsored outfit that targets Ukrainian institutions.

Strontium — Microsoft’s moniker for APT28 or “Fancy Bear,” a hacking group linked to Russia’s GRU — used the domains to target multiple Ukrainian institutions, including media organisations, as well as government institutions and think tanks involved in foreign policy in the United States and Europe, according to a blog post published on Thursday.

“We believe Strontium was seeking to get long-term access to its targets’ computers, provide tactical assistance for a physical invasion, and exfiltrate sensitive data,” said Tom Burt, Microsoft’s vice president of customer security.

On April 6, Microsoft claimed it received a court order authorising it to take control of seven domains used by APT28 to carry out its cyberattacks.

“We’ve since redirected these names to a sinkhole maintained by Microsoft, allowing us to reduce Strontium’s present use of these domains while still enabling victim notifications,” Burt explained. “We informed the Ukrainian authorities of the activity we discovered and the actions we took.”

This action is part of a larger Microsoft investigation that began in 2016 against a Russian state-sponsored hacking gang. In recent years, Microsoft has won many court rulings allowing it to seize APT28’s infrastructure. Microsoft has so far filed 15 more lawsuits against the Russian-backed threat group, resulting in the seizure of over 100 malicious domains controlled by Russian spies.

Since at least 2009, the Russia-backed hacking group has been active, mostly targeting media, military, security institutions, and governments around the world, including a 2015 hack of the German federal parliament and a 2016 attack on the Democratic National Committee.

APT28 has also been linked to the recent cyber attack on Viasat, a US satellite communications company that caused satellite service interruptions across Central and Eastern Europe. According to a recent SentinelOne analysis, the attack was most likely the consequence of destructive wiper malware, which has infected thousands of household and small business routers and network equipment throughout the world. APT28 was blamed by the FBI in 2018 for the VPNFilter operation.

APT28’s attacks, according to Microsoft’s Burt, are “only a small part of the activity we’ve seen in Ukraine,” with the company having “seen practically all of Russia’s nation-state actors involved in the current full-scale offensive against Ukraine’s government and critical infrastructure.”

Microsoft’s domain seizures come only days after the FBI announced that it had taken down a huge GRU-run botnet.

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As a result of Western sanctions over Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, YouTube and Google Play banned all payment-based services in Russia, including subscriptions, earlier this month.

“Unfortunately, Russians can no longer buy apps on Google Play, and developers have lost a source of money,” said Vladimir Zykov, project director at Digital Platforms, a digital development organisation.”This is why we established NashStore, a Russian app store,” Zykov said in a statement.

NashStore, which translates to “OurStore” in English, will support Android devices and should eventually be compatible with Russian Mir bank accounts.

On May 9, Russia puts on a patriotic display of sheer military force with a parade that passes through Moscow’s Red Square commemorating the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II. ards, according to the statement.

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Vivo Unveils Customized Smartphones Campaign for

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia ™

Chinese smartphone giant Vivo has rolled out a new global campaign for FIFA World Cup Russia titled “My Time, My FIFA World Cup”, at Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park which includes two other interactive activities to engage football fans and consumers across the globe. Vivo is the smartphone sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

The Vivo SuperFan photographers’ programme will hire 128 football fans with unprecedented pitch-side, stadium and warm up session access, as well as the Vivo Super Time project, which will elevate the fan experience during the FIFA World Cup finals performance segment.

Vivo Super Fan Photographers will be a star-studded one, comprising of not just football fans and consumers, but also celebrities, leading social media influencers, media partners and key opinion leaders from around the world.

Ahead of each match, Vivo Super Fan Photographers will be provided a Vivo smartphone, granted special pitch-side and stadium access to capture exclusive content such as the pre-match warm ups, and share them with the world.

It is notable that Vivo signed a six-year sponsorship agreement in 2017 with FIFA that will run until 2022, which includes sponsorship of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Vivo Super Fan Photographers

At the event, Vivo announced the Vivo Super Fan Photographers’ programme, which will recruit football fans, consumers and special guests who are passionate about photography to participate in the 2018, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and document extraordinary moments through unprecedented close-up access.

1994 FIFA World Cup winner and Brazilian footballing legend Bebeto; and former Dutch National and 1987 Ballon d’Or winner, Ruud Gullit, made a special appearance to accept FIFA’s certificate of endorsement with Vivo Super Fan Photographers’ representatives.

Bebeto said,

“The goal celebration dance for my newborn son at the 1994 World Cup was my most extraordinary moment.

I look forward to Vivo Super Fans capturing and sharing the extraordinary moments of this World Cup with the world”. Gullit added, “Scoring a goal during the tournament in 1990 was my most extraordinary moment from the World Cup and with some of the best players in world participating, this World Cup, like all others, will undoubtedly have some truly spectacular and memorable moments.”

Deng added,

“We are excited to launch this programme ahead of the FIFA World Cup. We look forward to share our latest and innovative products with Vivo Super Fan Photographers, empowering them with better ways to capture extraordinary moments and share them with the world. We want to bring fan involvement to the next level – to fully engage and participate – as part of Vivo’s sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup.”

Vivo Super Time

As part of the campaign, Vivo will also be launching the Vivo Super Time project, where there will be a series of unique music-themed activities throughout the tournament, including the Vivo Super DJ show at all 64 matches, to unite football fans and music lovers around the world.

It will culminate at the FIFA World Cup™ Final Match show on 15 July where Vivo will create a special Vivo Super Time moment during the Official Song Performance. This is the first time that FIFA invites a sponsor to participate in presenting the Official Song Performance during the FIFA World Cup Final Match Show.

“The Vivo Super Time project aims to involve all participants in creating a historic moment at this year’s FIFA World Cup,”

Deng added.

Beyond that, to commemorate Vivo’s sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup Russia, a Vivo limited edition smartphone will be immortalized at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland. This will be the first-ever limited edition smartphone to join a prestigious collection of significant artefacts and memorabilia, which chronicle the growth of football into a global culture.

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