US disrupts GRU-controlled hacker network
Kyiv • UNN
The US Department of Justice has shut down a Russian intelligence hacker network controlled by the GRU that hacked into hundreds of small office routers to carry out cyberattacks.
The Department of Justice said on Thursday that it had shut down a Russian intelligence hacker network. In a statement, Deputy Justice Department spokeswoman Lisa Monaco said that for the second time in two months, the United States prevented hackers backed by government agencies from carrying out cyberattacks using hacked American routers. This is reported by the Voice of America, according to UNN.
Details
According to the ministry, in January 2024, during an operation authorized by the judiciary, a network of hundreds of routers for small offices controlled by Russian intelligence was neutralized.
According to the statement, the routers were attempted to be used by the GRU unit number 26165, also known as APT 28, Sofacy Group, Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm, Fancy Bear, and Sednit.
As noted in the document, the hackers' "crimes included large-scale spear phishing and... credential collection campaigns targeting targets of intelligence interest to the Russian government, such as US and other government agencies, as well as military, security and corporate organizations.
As explained by the head of the Ministry of Justice, Merrick Garland, criminal groups, acting on the initiative of Russian special services, tried to hack home and office routers, but these attempts were stopped.
Garland emphasized that the DOJ is stepping up its efforts to combat Russian cyberattacks against the United States and its partners, including Ukraine.