Microsoft: There is a big hacker organization trying to sabotage the 2020 Olympics

Yes, that's the name that is no stranger to any computer system administrator's nightmare: Fancy Bear - A group of hackers from Russia.

Microsoft experts say the hacker group has targeted at least 16 US and international anti-doping and sports organizations, in the context of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will take place less than a year. again.

The malicious attacks carried out by Fancy Bear are based on a number of well-known malicious code, known by many nicknames such as APT28, Sofacy and Strontium - which are believed to have started from September 16, just before The time when reports of substance abuse behavior of some Russian athletes were published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The Windows manufacturer says the Fancy Bear attacks are closely related to spearphishing, brute force passwords, exploiting internet-connected devices, and even using open source malware. as well as customized.

Microsoft declined to disclose specific information, details about the attack or the true motive of the Russian hacker group behind the incident. However, the company said it had sent the notice to all the victims and pledged to work closely to protect the compromised accounts.

The Fancy Bear group - which has been active since 2004 - is one of the most feared hacker groups in the world, and is believed to have close ties with the Russian government. The malicious campaigns of the group mainly appear as cyber espionage activities.

APT28 is also a 'smooth' name for doping prevention agencies and the management of international sporting event infrastructure. An attack by this group on WADA in 2016 has leaked the confidential medical data of thousands of athletes.

It is still not clear whether Fancy Bear really is the organization behind a series of problems that WADA encountered more than a month ago, as well as the true purpose of this hacker group. However, the development of defensive measures to ensure a successful Olympics is more urgent than ever.