DOJ Disrupts Botnet Controlled by Russian Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff

IMPORTANT: The full content of this page is available to premium users only.

Thursday, February 22, 2024
Author: 
Bruce Zagaris
Volume: 
40
Issue: 
2
Abstract: 

On February 15, 2024, the Department of Justice announced that through a court-authorized operation, it has neutralized a network of hundreds of small office/home office (SOHO) routers that GRU Military Unit 26165, also known as APT 28, Sofacy Group, Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm, Fancy Bear, and Sednit, used to hide and enable a variety of crimes.[1]  The network allegedly engaged in vast spear phishing and similar credential harvesting exercises against targets of intelligence interest to the Russian government, such as U.S. and foreign governments and military, security, and corporate organizations.  In recent months a private sector cybersecurity advisory and the Ukrainian government [2] have warned of the activity of Unit 26165.