The Russian secret service FSB is said to have hacked British politicians and celebrities for years to extract information. This information was later leaked by the FSB with the aim of undermining democratic processes. The British government announced this via their website.
Center 18, a unit within Russia’s FSB security service, has been blamed for a series of cyber espionage operations targeting the United Kingdom.
The group is said to have used spear phishing, among other things, to obtain information and thus gain access to email accounts, according to the British government. With spear phishing, criminals pose as an acquaintance of the victim with the aim of obtaining sensitive information.
According to the UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), the hacking group first tries to get more information about the target through social media, such as hobbies and contacts. They then create email accounts and social media accounts, pretending to be experts, for example, and then contact the victim and gradually build a relationship of trust.
The hackers are said to have been active since 2015 and target British politicians, universities, journalists, foundations, think tanks and other organizations. The group is said to have leaked trade documents with the United States before the 2019 British elections, which they obtained by hacking the right authorities or people.
The cybercriminals “selectively leaked” stolen information related to the Russian government’s “confrontation goals.”
Following an investigation by the National Crime Agency, the United Kingdom has decided to sanction two Russians who are members of the hacking group and charge them for their involvement in the preparation of the phishing and associated activities that resulted in unauthorized access to sensitive facts. The United States has also imposed sanctions.
“Russia’s attempts to interfere in UK politics are completely unacceptable and threaten our democratic processes,” said British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. “Despite their repeated attempts, they have failed. By punishing and exposing the perpetrators, we expose their malicious attempts to exert influence and expose how Russia operates on the world stage.”
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