By Dave McKay | October 21, 2020
Six Russian Military Officers Charged Over Malware
Six officers in Unit 74455 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, have been charged by the US with spreading malware and meddling with elections.
They are said to be part of the infamous Fancy Bear Advanced Persistent Threat group, APT28.
“No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously or irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.
The six are charged with:
- The release of the NotPetya malware in 2017.
- Targeting South Korean athletes and Olympic officials in 2017 and 2018.
- Using spear-phishing attacks against experts at the international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, in 2018.
- Launched malware attacks against Ukraine’s electric power grid and other infrastructure in 2015 and 20126.
- Compromised French President Macron’s political party and leaking documents in 2017.
The Assistant Attorney General went on to say, “Today the department has charged these Russian officers with conducting the most disruptive and destructive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group, including by unleashing the NotPetya malware. No nation will recapture greatness while behaving in this way.”
Source: The Register