Russia hacking: 'FSB in years-long cyber attacks on UK', says government

The UK has accused Russia’s Security Service, the FSB, of engaging in a prolonged cyber-hacking campaign aimed at politicians and individuals in the public eye. The government alleges that one faction within the FSB orchestrated cyber-attacks to pilfer data, subsequently disclosing it publicly, including materials linked to the 2019 election. Despite Russia consistently refuting involvement in such activities, Foreign Secretary David Cameron condemned the group’s actions as “completely unacceptable.” Former Prime Minister Cameron affirmed the commitment to collaborate with allies to expose Russian covert cyber activities and hold Russia accountable.

Foreign Office Minister Leo Docherty informed the House of Commons that Russia’s ambassador was summoned, and sanctions were imposed on two individuals, one of whom is a current FSB officer. The accused group is said to have executed numerous targeted hacks against politicians, civil servants, think tank employees, journalists, academics, and other public figures. These attacks primarily focused on infiltrating private emails after conducting extensive research and establishing false accounts impersonating trusted contacts.

The group, associated with the FSB’s Centre 18, has allegedly been active in stealing information from individuals in political and public life in the UK since at least 2015. Despite the accusation, the campaign is deemed unsuccessful in directly interfering with the democratic process. The UK’s public accusation aims to disrupt the group’s activities and raise awareness ahead of upcoming major elections globally.

Western officials assert that the group, connected to the FSB, acquires substantial amounts of data to undermine the West in various ways. The UK had previously accused Russia of interference in the 2019 election, linking it to the theft and leakage of documents on US-UK trade. However, the specific group responsible was not identified until now. The UK’s move is expected to be followed by actions from the US against the same group.

The FSB-linked group is believed to focus on data hacking, with other entities involved in disseminating and amplifying the impact of the stolen information. Targets include individuals across the political spectrum, think tanks like the Institute for Statecraft, and former MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove. The UK’s accusation, coupled with expected actions from the US, aims to expose and disrupt the FSB group’s activities, with both countries coordinating their responses after establishing confidence in FSB Centre 18’s responsibility.