Such hackers are not just stealing data, corporate vice president of customer security Tom Burt wrote in the Microsoft Digital Defense Report.
They are "launching ransomware, prepositioning backdoors for future destruction, sabotaging operations, and conducting influence campaigns," he wrote.
"The pace of nation-state sponsored cyberattacks has escalated to the point that there is now effectively constant combat in cyberspace without any meaningful consequences to the attacker."
Observations during the past year affirm a "convergence" of governments and cybercriminals, according to the report, which cited activity by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Nations use financially-motivated cybercriminals as "a force multiplier," piggybacking on their hacking expertise, according to the report.
"We have also seen rapid shifts in the tactics of hybrid war, wide-ranging attempts to interfere in democratic elections, and a surge in ransomware attacks and cyber-enabled financial fraud across the globe," the report said.
Russia, Iran, and China have all engaged in election infuence efforts, ramping up efforts to sway perceptions, sow discord, and erode trust in public institutions, according to Microsoft.
"The widespread accessibility of generative AI tools coupled with significant geopolitical events has created a ripe environment for nation-state influence operations aimed at high-stakes contests," Microsoft said.
North Korea has long "blurred the line" between cybercrime and cyber espionage, with the United Nations estimating the nation has stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017, according to the report.
Sri Lanka arrests over 230 Chinese in cybercrime raids
Colombo (AFP) Oct 15, 2024 -
Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 230 Chinese men accused of targeting international banks in online scams, the foreign minister said on Tuesday, with help from security officials sent by Beijing.
Vijitha Herath said police raids over the past week had also seized 250 computers and 500 mobile phones used in the alleged scams, with investigations into how much had been stolen still underway.
"They have mainly targeted foreign banks and financial institutions," Herath said of the gangs targeted in the raids.
China's embassy in Colombo said they had sent a "working group" of security officials to carry out "special operations" with Sri Lankan police.
"A large number of criminal suspects were arrested," the embassy said in a statement, adding that "repatriation and other work" were ongoing.
The biggest raid was on Saturday, when police arrested 126 Chinese men, as well as two from Vietnam and one each from Thailand and the Philippines.
Sri Lanka has a strong telecommunication infrastructure and was the first in South Asia to unroll a 5G network, in April 2019, three years before the country's financial meltdown.
The embassy statement said China's crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have pushed some to seek criminal opportunities abroad.
"China stands ready to further strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Sri Lanka", the statement said.
In June, police arrested another 200 suspects, mainly Indians, who were also accused of operating online financial scams.
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