The July attacks involved multiple groups responsible for different aspects of the operation against Albania, researchers said.

Spyware such as NSO Group-produced Pegasus is proliferating quickly and poses a threat to privacy and national security, experts said.

Critics said claims of a combined cyber and battlefield attack against a Ukrainian nuclear power plant are particularly irresponsible.

Hackers are also widening their net to candidates' families and friends, experts say.

The new group is suspected of collaborating with "multiple" Iranian-linked hacking efforts.

Botnets have proven hard to permanently eradicate in the past, suggesting Europol's success disabling the FluBot malware could be fleeting.