The United Kingdom revealed a cyber operation conducted by Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU), which was aimed at Western logistics and technology firms aiding Ukraine, as stated by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on May 21.
According to a
release
According to the NSCS, GRU Unit 26165, which is also referred to as APT 28, has been making efforts to infiltrate protected networks within the defense, information technology, maritime, airport, port, and air traffic control sectors of NATO member states. Their aim appears to be disrupting logistical supplies destined for Ukraine.
Russian hacker groups have engaged in various forms of cyber warfare throughout the full-scale war, including
cyberattacks
against Ukraine, hacks of
civilian infrastructure
in Europe, and intervention in
foreign elections
.
Since 2022, the GRU unit, has been using different tactics, including credential guessing, spear-phishing, and exploiting Microsoft Exchange mailbox permissions, to get access into various secure networks linked to delivering support for Ukraine.
The Russian military intelligence unit would also target internet-connected cameras at Ukrainian border crossings and near military installations, the NCSC said.
Paul Chichester, the NCSC Operations Director, stated, “This harmful operation conducted by Russia’s military intelligence agency poses a significant threat to the organizations under target, particularly those contributing aid to Ukraine.”
The unit, also referred to as ‘
Fancy Bear
,’
Has formerly attracted the attention of other NATO member countries.
On April 29, the French Foreign Ministry alleged that the unit had intensified cyber attacks against French government departments.
France
has filed charges against the GRU’s APT28 unit — also referred to as ‘صند
Fancy Bear
— located in Rostov-on-Don in the south
Russia
.
There was no public disclosure regarding whether the team managed to acquire classified data, or which particular entities experienced security breaches.
NATO allies the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France and the Netherlands assisted the U.K. in exposing the cyber campaign, the NSCS said.
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