In February 2024, a widespread array of cyberterrorism activities highlighted ongoing geopolitical tensions. Russian, Chinese, and Iranian hackers were notably active, targeting embassies, military, health, and police networks across multiple continents with malware, espionage, and data breaches. This variety of cyberattacks reflects the increasing complexity and range of threats faced globally.
- Russian Webmail Server Exploit: Russian hackers launched an ongoing espionage campaign beginning in 2023 against the embassies of Georgia, Poland, Ukraine, and Iran by exploiting a series of webmail server vulnerabilities. These actions allowed them to inject malware and gather political and military information.
- Data Leak from a Chinese Cybersecurity Firm: Approximately 190 megabytes of sensitive data from a Chinese cybersecurity company were leaked online. This exposed the company’s espionage activities targeted at the governments of the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan. The origin of the leak remains unidentified.
- Cyberattack on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: The RCMP reported a significant cyberattack on its networks, describing the incident as “alarming.” Investigations continue to determine the nature and perpetrators of the attack, with the RCMP stating no immediate impact on its operations or Canadian security.
- U.S. Retaliatory Hacking on Iranian Spy Ship: In response to an Iranian drone strike in Jordan, U.S. officials hacked an Iranian military spy ship that was coordinating with Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. This strategic cyber operation aimed to disrupt intelligence-sharing within hostile forces.
- Data Breach in French Health Insurance: A major breach occurred in January 2024, impacting 33 million French citizens, revealed in February. Sensitive information such as birth dates, social security numbers, and marital status were compromised, prompting an investigation by France’s data protection agency for potential GDPR violations.
- Chinese Espionage in Dutch Military Networks: Chinese spies injected malware into lesser-used segments of the Dutch military networks in 2023. This marked the first public accusation by the Netherlands against China for a cyber espionage incident, though the damage was mitigated due to the network’s isolation from main defense systems.