Microsoft Says Russia’s FSB Hacked Foreign Embassies in Moscow

Microsoft has accused Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) of conducting a long-running cyber-espionage operation against foreign embassies and diplomatic missions in Moscow.

According to Microsoft Threat Intelligence, the campaign has been active since at least 2024 and uses local internet service providers to compromise embassy networks. By operating at the ISP level, the FSB allegedly gained a direct pathway to install custom backdoors on embassy computers, enabling them to steal data and deploy further malware.

The company said the hacking poses “a high risk” to diplomats, international organizations, and other sensitive institutions working inside Russia, especially those dependent on Russian internet infrastructure.

Microsoft linked the activity to a notorious FSB hacking unit tracked as “Secret Blizzard,” also known internationally as “Turla,” which has carried out espionage against governments, journalists, and NGOs for nearly two decades.

The revelations come at a sensitive geopolitical moment, as the U.S. pressures Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and NATO allies increase defense spending. Microsoft did not name specific embassies targeted, and Russia has denied conducting such cyber operations.