CERT-EU Reports Increased Cyber Threats, Including Russia-Linked Attacks on NATO States and AI-Driven Malware
The CERT-EU Cyber Brief for October 2026 highlights a significant increase in cyber threats, with Russia-linked actors targeting NATO member states and a rise in AI-driven malware campaigns. Symantec reported that Russia-linked Swallowtail (APT28) targeted organizations in two NATO states, including a naval shipbuilder, a military aircraft engine manufacturer, and a law enforcement agency. These intrusions involved credential theft, persistent SSH tunnels, and reconnaissance. Additionally, Russia-linked Star Blizzard expanded its phishing campaigns against Ukrainian individuals and organizations associated with international policy, affecting over 100 organizations primarily in the US and UK. On the AI front, Black Lotus Labs reported that PoeLLM, a financially motivated malware campaign, abused exposed AI services to compromise servers, deploying cryptocurrency miners and reusing infected hosts to scan for more victims, affecting over 3,400 servers mainly in the US and Western Europe. Microsoft also asses...
