Silent Invasion: The Shadow That Shook the Election
It was 2016, during the heated U.S. presidential election. An invisible guest arrived at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) computer network. Their intrusion was so quiet and covert that no one noticed at first. But soon, sensitive internal emails and documents began leaking through specialized exposure websites. The election scene was turned upside down, and candidates faced embarrassing situations. Behind all this chaos was a hacking group named ‘Strontium’.
Also known as ‘Fancy Bear’ or ‘APT28,’ they were no ordinary hackers. It was revealed that Russian intelligence agencies were behind them. Their goal went beyond stealing information; they aimed to directly influence the election through cunning information leaks, fostering social distrust and division. Like silent gunshots, their keystrokes shook the roots of a nation’s democracy. This incident shocked the world and marked the dawn of cyberspace as a new battlefield threatening democracy.
The Giant Awakens: Microsoft’s Entry into the Battle
One company witnessed this silent war up close: Microsoft (MS), responsible for the operating systems and software on millions of computers worldwide. Many of Strontium’s hacking techniques targeted vulnerabilities in MS products like Windows OS and Office 365. Seeing their technology used as a weapon against democracy, MS decided they could no longer remain passive.
The 2016 incident was a wake-up call for MS, beyond a mere technical issue—it was a social responsibility. MS’s security team began relentlessly analyzing Strontium’s attack patterns. They uncovered how hackers created fake websites to deceive people and used cleverly disguised spear-phishing emails to steal passwords. MS resolved to go beyond passive defense like firewalls and antivirus updates and to actively counterattack those threatening democracy.
From Shield to Sword: The Digital Guardian’s Role
MS’s response was swift and proactive. Under the banner of the ‘Defending Democracy Program,’ they launched an all-out campaign leveraging technology, legal action, and intelligence.
Destroying the Trap of Fakes
Strontium created dozens of fake domains resembling MS services to use as hacking footholds. For example, addresses like ‘my-microsoft.com’ lured people to steal account information. MS filed lawsuits to block these. They successfully seized ownership of 84 fake websites created by hackers and neutralized them. This was a major victory that directly cut off hackers’ attack routes.
Exposing Invisible Threats
MS no longer kept threat intelligence gathered from its vast network internal. Ahead of the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, when Strontium was detected targeting specific candidates with new hacking attempts, MS immediately alerted the government and affected campaigns. This helped prevent damage in advance. It was a symbolic event demonstrating how corporations can be vital partners in national security.
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Protecting Democracy with Technology
MS also began offering security services like ‘AccountGuard’ for free to political candidates, parties, and nonprofits. This was to protect relatively vulnerable democratic institutions from sophisticated attacks by state-sponsored hacking groups. Additionally, they developed the open-source software ‘ElectionGuard’ to enhance voting transparency and reliability, enabling anyone to verify election results.
Building the Shield Together: Cooperation Between State and Industry
The 2016 hacking incident taught us an important lesson: today’s threats to democracy hide in cyberspace without borders or form. These new threats cannot be stopped by government power alone.
Microsoft’s case clearly shows how the technological capabilities and intelligence of private companies can play a crucial role in national security and defending democracy. While governments create broad frameworks and set directions through laws and regulations, tech companies like MS build the most efficient and powerful ‘digital shields’ within that framework.
Strontium’s attacks continue even now. They are likely probing democracy’s vulnerabilities with even more sophisticated methods. But now, we have the costly experience of 2016 and the strong shoulders of ‘giants’ who have willingly stepped up to defend democracy. Though the invisible war goes on, as long as governments and companies join hands, our democracy will not easily be shaken.