Microsoft has posted a warning that Russian hackers are a new threat at hospitality venues in what it calls a ‘widespread but targeted’ attack.
It urges travellers to treat hotel, conference, airport, and other guest wireless networks as untrustworthy. Microsoft’s threat intelligence warns that a cyber group, Midnight Blizzard, is a Russia-based threat actor attributed by intelligence agencies to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service or SVR and is aimed to collect intelligence through longstanding and dedicated espionage.
Midnight Blizzard (NOBELIUM), it adds, is known to primarily target governments, diplomats, non-government organisations, and IT service providers primarily in the US and Europe.
. . . Keep It Private
Microsoft says travellers should opt for private connectivity (including mobile hotspots, satellite, and eSIM-based cellular data connections) over public wifi whenever practical. For business-managed devices, organisations can choose to pre-vent wifi connections to networks that have not been provisioned via Mobile Device Management (MDM).
Business travellers, it says, should consider using enterprise-man-aged travel routers or hotspot devices that establish encrypted tunnels back to trusted corporate infrastructure before accessing sensitive resources.
Microsoft warns travellers to avoid downloading software updates, certificates, browser updates, network troubleshooting tools, or security utilities presented through captive portals or other unexpected web prompts.
