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Hackers

DOJ: Russian Hackers Employed a “Sophisticated Spear Phishing Campaign” Against Us Intelligence Officers.

By Ryan Delarme, December 7, 2023

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

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

Federal Agencies Report Breaches by Iranian Hackers, Numerous U.S. States Affected

By Ryan Delarme, December 5, 2023

According to U.S. and Israeli authorities, numerous organizations in the United States were compromised by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted an Israeli-made industrial control device. A minor water authority in western Pennsylvania was among the many organizations compromised.

“The victims span multiple U.S. states,” an advisory emailed to The Associated Press late Friday by the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

The number of compromised organizations was not specified, and no other details were provided.

Federal officials informed Matthew Mottes, chairman of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, which discovered it had been infiltrated on November 25, that the same group also compromised four other utilities and an aquarium, on Thursday.

Even though there is no evidence linking Iran to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which instigated the conflict in Gaza, cybersecurity experts anticipate that pro-Palestinian hacktivists and Iranian-backed hackers will intensify cyberattacks against Israel and its allies in the wake of the incident. Indeed, that has occurred.

The multiagency advisory provided information that CISA did not have when it confirmed the Pennsylvania breach on Wednesday: that vulnerable Vision Series programmable logic controllers manufactured by Unitronics are utilized in industries other than water and water treatment facilities.

These sectors include “energy, food and beverage manufacturing, and healthcare,” according to the advisory. The apparatus controls various processes, such as the discharge of fluids, temperature, and pressure.

Crews were compelled to transition to manual operation after the Aliquippa hack prompted employees to temporarily cease pumping at a remote station that regulates water pressure for two neighboring towns. On the compromised device, the hackers left a digital calling card that stated “any Israeli-made equipment is a legal target.”

According to the multiagency advisory, it remained uncertain whether the hackers attempted to further infiltrate the compromised networks. They were granted access that facilitated “more profound cyberphysical effects on processes and equipment,” according to the document.

The hackers, who identify as “Cyber Av3ngers,” are reportedly affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, a foreign terrorist organization designated by the United States in 2019. The group has reportedly been targeting Unitronics devices since at least November 22.

An online search conducted on the engine Shodan on Saturday uncovered over 200 internet-connected devices in the United States and over 1,700 worldwide.

The advisory notes that Unitronics devices are shipped with a default password, which is discouraged by experts due to the increased susceptibility to malware. In accordance with established guidelines, devices need to have an initial password that is distinct from the rest. It is assumed that the compromised devices were accessed by the hackers through “exploitation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as inadequate password protection and internet connectivity.”

According to authorities, a considerable number of water utilities have neglected cybersecurity.

In response to the Aliquippa hack, three Pennsylvania congressmen asked the U.S. Justice Department in a letter to investigate. Americans must know their drinking water and other basic infrastructure is safe from “nation-state adversaries and terrorist organizations,” U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio said. Cyber Av3ngers claimed in an Oct. 30 social media post to have hacked 10 water treatment stations in Israel, though it is not clear if they shut down any equipment.

According to Sergey Shykevich of Check Point, the organization has escalated and broadened its focus on Israeli critical infrastructure since the inception of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Before the events of October 7, Iran and Israel were involved in a low-level cyberconflict. The AP has not received a response from Unitronics regarding the breaches.

A federal appeals court decision prompted the EPA to rescind a rule that would have required U.S. public water systems to conduct cybersecurity testing as part of their routine federally mandated audits. The attack occurred less than one month later. A federal appeals court decision in a case filed by Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa, with the support of a water utility trade group, instigated the reversal.

 

Ryan Delarme

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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