In light of increasing Russian-backed cyber attacks, the Department of Justice has urged businesses and computer users to take immediate steps to protect against malware attacks. 

In a much-applauded triumph over Russian hackers, the FBI has covertly neutralized the Russian-backed Cyclops Blink botnet from global computer networks which had targeted institutions and organizations.

DUBLIN, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the heat of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States Department of Justice has released an official report announcing that the FBI has neutralized Cyclops Blink, a Russian botnet that has infected computer networks worldwide. Cyclonis Limited and its research partners have been actively monitoring Cyclops Blink and other Russian-backed malware threats that have become increasingly persistent as the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on and have compiled effective ways to help you protect yourself from attacks. The FBI carried out the court-authorized covert operation by secretly infiltrating and neutralizing systems that the hackers used as "C&C" servers to command and control the botnet. These actions effectively disrupted a two-tiered global botnet that included thousands of compromised network hardware devices. 

To find out more about the ongoing cyber attacks against Ukraine, visit https://www.cyclonis.com/cyber-war-ukraine-russia-flares-up-invasion-continues/.

Thousands of Infected Devices Worldwide Saved by FBI Covert Takedown of Cyclops Blink Botnet & the Russian-Backed Sandworm Hacking Group

Cyclops Blink: As it infiltrated thousands of network-connected devices worldwide, Cyclops Blink connected computer systems to a highly malicious bot network that was being used by Russian-backed hackers for surveillance, destructive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, spam campaigns, and other malicious activities. According to reports, Cyclops Blink targeted WatchDog and ASUS routers and firewall devices and then used these compromised devices as command and control servers to carry out attacks.

Sandworm: The Cyclops Blink botnet is believed to be operated by Sandworm, a Russian-backed hacker group that has been reported to have recently targeted Ukrainian industrial control systems. Experts have publicly stated that Sandworm is a Russian cyber military unit controlled by the Russian Federation's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). Reports have suggested that Sandworm is actively targeting critical infrastructure, in the US and worldwide, including major financial institutions, electricity grids and other key infrastructure systems. 

What Businesses & Individual Computer Users Should Do to Protect Their Systems from Destructive Cyber Attacks

Businesses should remain vigilant in actively monitoring their computer networks and systems. IT staff should flag any suspicious activity that is detected and should take proactive steps to maintain and improve security. To help protect against these Russian-backed malware attacks and to generally improve online security, corporate IT staff, business owners, and individual computer users are encouraged to follow these steps:

• Protect your computer systems from potential cyber attacks with a powerful anti-malware program like SpyHunter.
  
  
• Regularly update your system software. Updates are frequently released to patch newly discovered security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers to compromise your systems.
  
  
• Use strong passwords that are unique and hard to guess. To help keep track of all your passwords in one central place, use a reputable password manager like Cyclonis Password Manager.
  
  
• Protect your business from the potentially devastating consequences of ransomware by establishing and implementing a solid data backup strategy. Consider using a reliable cloud storage backup program like Cyclonis Backup to protect your important files.
  
  
• If you suspect illegal malware activity on your network, consider the advisability of contacting law enforcement.

About Cyclonis Limited

An Irish company headquartered in Dublin, Cyclonis Limited designs and develops desktop, mobile, and cloud-enabled software products focused on simplifying data organization and management. Our applications aim to streamline the process of organizing the increasing volumes of information regular computer users deal with every day.

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SOURCE Cyclonis Limited