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cyberthreat news
26 February 2024

‘Vulkan files’ leak reveals Russian cyber strategy

According to a report dated April 1, 2023, a company called NTC Vulkan located in the Northeastern suburbs of Moscow, which presents itself be an ordinary cybersecurity consultancy, is actually working closely with Russian military and intelligence agencies to strengthen Vladimir Putin's cyberwarfare capabilities. 

Vulkan engineers have worked to support hacking operations, train operatives before attacks on national infrastructures, spread disinformation and control sections of the Internet. This cooperation is of concern as it may lead to an increase in cyber attacks and disinformation. 

It appears that several tools have been developed by NTC Vulkan to support Russian cyber warfare operations. The first tool, Scan-V, is a cyber attack software that scours the Internet for vulnerabilities to be used in future attacks. This software is linked to the notorious hacking group Sandworm, known for causing power outages in Ukraine, disrupting the Olympic Games in South Korea and launching the NotPetya malware. 

The second tool, Amezit, allows for the surveillance and the control of the internet in regions under Russian command, as well as the dissemination of disinformation via fake social media profiles. The third tool, Crystal-2V, is a training program for cyber operators on the methods needed to bring down rail, air and sea infrastructures. These tools are used to support hacking, training and disinformation operations conducted by Russian military and intelligence agencies. 

Read more about it: here