Diplomats are frequently sent on new assignments with little notice, meaning they're often looking to buy and sell cars with diplomatic plates very quickly, Michael Sikorski, vice president of threat intelligence and chief technology officer at Unit 42, told Axios. This schedule makes car advertisements an ideal way for hostile hackers to target diplomats.

One example of a fraudulent online advertisement was for a 2009 Audi Q7 Quattro SUV for about 5,500 euros. The post advertises a "Diplomatic Car for Sale" and contains contact information and six images of the cars.

By targeting diplomats’ devices, Kremlin spies may be able to access internal secrets and get ahead of any plans invented to sabotage Russia’s objectives.