DOJ charges 4 Russian government workers with hacking energy sector

3 yıl önce

The U.S. Justice Department fired another legal salvo against Russia Thursday, announcing indictments against four Russian government employees for an alleged hacking campaign targeting the energy sector that lasted for years and targeted computers in 135 countries.

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An indictment in U.S. District Court in Washington charges that Evgeny Viktorvich Gladkikh, who worked at a Russian Ministry of Defense research institute, conspired with others to damage critical infrastructure outside the U.S., causing emergency shutdowns at one foreign facility. Those charged in the indictment, under seal since June of last year, also allegedly tried to hack the computers of a U.S. firm that managed similar facilities in the United States.

A separate indictment filed in Kansas charges a hacking campaign launched by Russian’s federal security service, or FSB, and allegedly targeting computers at hundreds of energy-related entities around the world. That indictment was also filed under seal last summer.

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The alleged hacking activity took place between 2012 and 2018, U.S. officials said. The decision to reveal the indictments underscores the concern U.S. and European officials have about Russia unleashing a wave of cyber attacks on the West in response to a new wave of sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said there is an “urgent ongoing need for American businesses to harden their defenses and remain vigilant." She said Russian state-sponsored hackers “pose a serious and persistent threat to critical infrastructure both in the United States and around the world.”

This is a developing story. It will be updated.