Microsoft Disrupts Hacking Operation That May Have Affected Election

By Brian Freeman (NEWSMAX)

Microsoft has taken down a major hacking operation that it said could have indirectly affected election infrastructure if allowed to go on, CNN reported on Monday.

Microsoft said it obtained a federal court order to disable the IP addresses connected with the servers of Trickbot, a malware network that criminals use to launch other cyberattacks.

Microsoft said it also cooperated with telecom providers worldwide to fight Trickbot.

The Washington Post reported that the move was made in tandem with an offensive by U.S. Cyber Command in an attempt to disrupt the cybercriminals.

Microsoft said its efforts signal a “new legal approach” that may help authorities combat the network in the future, CNN reported.

The company said that Trickbot is dangerous because it offers hackers the ability to inject vulnerable computers with other malware, including ransomware, which could be a risk to websites that have election information.

“Adversaries can use ransomware to infect a computer system used to maintain voter rolls or report on election-night results, seizing those systems at a prescribed hour optimized to sow chaos and distrust,” Tom Burt, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of customer security and trust, wrote in a blog post.

Burt added that “We have now cut off key infrastructure so those operating Trickbot will no longer be able to initiate new infections or activate ransomware already dropped into computer systems.”