Helping Heroes- As the tanks rolled into Ukraine, so did malware. Then Microsoft entered the war.

Microsoft did something pretty amazing and heroic. As Russian hackers tried to take down systems in Ukraine, Microsoft caught onto it and blocked the hacker's efforts! Here's the story:

As the tanks rolled into Ukraine, so did malware. Then Microsoft entered the war.

By David E. Sanger, Julian E. Barnes and Kate Conger, New York Times Service 

March 1, 2022 | 7:52 AM

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Feb. 23, a few hours before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine, alarms went off inside Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center, warning of a never-before-seen piece of “wiper” malware that appeared aimed at the country’s government ministries and financial institutions.

Within three hours, Microsoft threw itself into the middle of a ground war in Europe — from 5,500 miles away. The threat center, north of Seattle, had been on high alert, and it quickly picked apart the malware, named it “FoxBlade” and notified Ukraine’s top cyberdefense authority. Within three hours, Microsoft’s virus detection systems had been updated to block the code, which erases — “wipes” — data on computers in a network.

Then Tom Burt, the senior Microsoft executive who oversees the company’s effort to counter major cyberattacks, contacted Anne Neuberger, the White House’s deputy national security adviser for cyber- and emerging technologies. Neuberger asked if Microsoft would consider sharing details of the code with the Baltics, Poland and other European nations, out of fear that the malware would spread beyond Ukraine’s borders, crippling the military alliance or hitting West European banks.

Before midnight in Washington, Neuberger had made introductions — and Microsoft had begun playing the role that Ford Motor Co. did in World War II, when the company converted automobile production lines to make Sherman tanks.

President Joe Biden’s aides often note that it was a private firm — Mandiant — that found the “SolarWinds” attack 15 months ago, in which one of Russia’s most cybersavvy intelligence agencies, the SVR, infiltrated network management software used by thousands of U.S. government agencies and private businesses. That gave the Russian government unfettered access.

Such attacks have given Russia a reputation as one of the most aggressive, and skilled, cyberpowers. But the surprise of recent days is that Russia’s activity in that realm has been more muted than expected, researchers said.

“If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond,” Biden said.. FULL STORY: https://www.boston.com/news/technology/2022/03/01/as-the-tanks-rolled-into-ukraine-so-did-malware-then-microsoft-entered-the-war/?p1=recirc_mostpopular