The Justice Department (DOJ) alleged on Thursday that hackers acting on behalf of the Russian government targeted U.S. intelligence officers in a “sophisticated spear phishing campaign” designed to influence elections in the United Kingdom.
The operation “stole information used in foreign malign influence operations designed to influence the U.K.’s 2019 elections,” according to the DOJ. It effectively hacked into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and other NATO member states.
individuals associated with the conspiracy were named in a federal indictment unsealed by the DOJ on Thursday. The indictment had been returned by a federal grand jury in San Francisco on Tuesday.
The DOJ asserts that Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko, an officer in the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets are the two individuals charged. One count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and one count of conspiracy to conduct wire fraud have been filed against each of them.
The defendants, along with other unindicted co-conspirators, were members of the so-called “Callisto Group,” according to the DOJ.
The cyber campaign allegedly targeted current and former personnel of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, Department of State, defense contractors, and Department of Energy facilities between October 2016 and October 2022, according to the indictment.
Existing and former personnel of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, Department of State, defense contractors, and Department of Energy facilities were allegedly the targets of the cyber campaign, which allegedly occurred between October 2016 and October 2022.
Sending “sophisticated-looking emails” that deceived targets into divulging their login credentials enabled the perpetrators to access the email accounts of the victims at will, according to the DOJ. Spear phishing was frequently conducted in this manner.
The DOJ stated that some of the emails were sent from “spoofed” accounts that were designed to resemble other personal and professional emails that the victims would receive. On occasion, the emails informed recipients that they had breached the terms of service associated with their accounts and required them to register through a link provided. The DOJ stated that when users believed they were signing into their accounts, they were providing hackers with their account credentials.
It seems evidence that Russia continues to attempt to undermine democratic elections, U.S. officials cited the indictments and vowed to hold Russia accountable. Many in the United States would counter that the U.S. Government does more to undermine democratic elections than a few Russian hackers, but of course, we’re not allowed to report on that.
“Today’s indictment is part of a coordinated international response to send a message to the conspirators that the whole of the United States government stands together and with our partners internationally to identify and disrupt cyber espionage actors, particularly those seeking to obtain government information and attempting to create chaos in democratic processes,” U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, Ismail Ramsey, said in the press release.
The indictment, according to Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, demonstrates that the “Russian government continues to target critical networks of the United States and our allies,” and he vowed to hold them accountable.
“Through this malign influence activity directed at the democratic processes of the United Kingdom, Russia again demonstrates its commitment to using weaponized campaigns of cyber espionage against such networks in unacceptable ways,” Olsen said. “The Department of Justice will respond to such behavior with an even more determined commitment to disrupt those activities and to hold accountable the individuals responsible.”
Ryan DeLarme is an American journalist navigating a labyrinth of political corruption, overreaching corporate influence, a burgeoning censorship-industrial complex, compromised media, and the planned destruction of our constitutional republic. He writes for Badlands Media and is also a Host and Founder at Vigilant News. Additionally, his writing has been featured in American Thinker, the Post-Liberal, Winter Watch, Underground Newswire, and Stillness in the Storm. He’s also writes for alt-media streaming platforms Dauntless Dialogue and Rise.tv. Ryan enjoys gardening, kung fu, creative writing and fighting to SAVE AMERICA
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