British government accuses Russian intelligence hacker Star Blizzard of interfering in internal affairs through cyber attacks
On December 7, 2023, the British government accused Russian intelligence agencies of attempting to disrupt the democratic process by hacking the emails of numerous politicians and government officials. As a result, the British government added two Russian nationals, including an intelligence officer, to its sanctions list and summoned the Russian ambassador to the UK to express its concerns.
UK attempts to expose Russian cyber interference in politics and democratic processes - GOV.UK
Office of Public Affairs | Two Russian Nationals Working with Russia's Federal Security Service Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign | United States Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-russian-nationals-working-russias-federal-security-service-charged-global-computer
The UK government blames Russian intelligence for prolonged efforts to meddle in British politics - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/uk-russias-intelligence-service-sustained-attempts-meddle-british-105451402
The British government announced, ``It has been confirmed that Center 18, an organization within the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), is involved in various cyber espionage activities targeting the United Kingdom.''
According to the British government, Russian intelligence agencies hacked public figures involved in politics and democracy and used the information obtained to carry out impersonation, etc., with the aim of undermining trust in the politics of Britain and its allies. About.
The espionage activities were carried out by cyber groups called Star Blizzard, Callisto Group, Cold River, or Seaborgium, and the UK's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) is almost certain that this group is the center. It shows that the person belongs to 18.
British Secretary of State Leo Docherty told the House of Commons: 'They targeted prominent individuals and groups with the clear intention of using the information they obtained to interfere in British politics. It's not just homes, but also all kinds of public figures and organizations.'
The British government claims that the FSB carried out the following attacks through Star Blizzard.
・From at least 2015 to 2023, members of Congress from multiple political parties were targeted with
- Hacking of trade documents between the United Kingdom and the United States that were leaked ahead of the 2019 general election.
・The 2018 hack of the Institute for Statecraft, a British think tank that works to protect democracy from disinformation, and the breach of the account of its founder Christopher Donnelly from December 2021 to 2023. hacked.
・Attacks targeting universities, journalists, public organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other civil society organizations that play an important role in British democracy.
Although some attacks have resulted in documents being leaked, the British government insists that attempts to interfere in British politics and democracy have not been successful.
The UK and US have jointly placed two members of Russia's intelligence services on a sanctions list for their role in Russia's attack on democracy. Those targeted for sanctions were Ruslan Alexandrovich Peretyatko, an FSB agent and member of Star Blizzard, and Andrei Stanislavovich, also a member of Star Blizzard. - Mr. Kolinets, also known as Mr. Alexei Doguzhiev.
The U.S. Department of Justice has also separately indicted the two men on charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and if they are extradited to the United States, Peretiyatko could face up to five years in prison and Kolinetz could face up to five years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The UK Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador to the UK to express 'deep concern at Russia's continued attempts to use cyber-attacks to interfere in political and democratic processes in the UK and abroad.'
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: 'Russia's attempts to interfere in British politics are completely unacceptable and seek to threaten our democratic processes. However, despite their repeated efforts to Today, by sanctioning those responsible and subpoenaing the Russian ambassador, we are exposing their malign attempts to influence and helping Russia become a global leader. 'We will continue to work with our allies to expose Russia's secret cyber activities and hold Russia accountable for its actions.' I did.
Russian officials did not respond to media requests for comment on the matter.
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