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US, Microsoft seize dozens of domains linked to Russian hacking group
U.S. authorities have seized dozens of Internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to steal valuable information from U.S. government computers and email accounts, the Justice Department revealed Thursday.
In an arrest warrant released this week, the department accuses the “Callisto Group,” a unit of Russia's FSB security service, of orchestrating a “continuous and sophisticated spear phishing campaign” aimed at gaining unauthorized access. to victims' computers and email accounts.
The warrant alleged that Russian-led cybercriminals stole “valuable information and sensitive intelligence from the U.S. government.”
Targets included former U.S. intelligence employees, former and current members of the Department of Defense, Department of State employees, Department of Energy personnel, U.S. military contractors, and U.S.-based companies. UNITED STATES.
The Justice Department seized 41 Internet domains and coordinated the takedowns with tech giant Microsoft, which seized 66 additional unique domains operated by the same group.
Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed that nation-state cybercriminals targeted “more than 30 civil society organizations – journalists, think tanks and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) critical to the development of democracy – by deploying spear phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information. information and interfere in their activities,” according to a blog post published Thursday by Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit.
According to Microsoft, the Callisto Group – which the company refers to as “Star Blizzard” – has been actively launching cyberattacks since at least 2017. The group has recently targeted nonprofit organizations, think tanks and officials who have “provided[ed] support for Ukraine and NATO countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the Baltics, Nordic countries and Eastern Europe.
“They have been particularly aggressive in targeting former intelligence officials, experts on Russian affairs, and Russian citizens residing in the United States,” Microsoft's digital crimes unit wrote.
The Justice Department said the perpetrators sought to “enhance their criminal scheme” by making the phishing emails more authentic and exploiting the hacked email accounts to obtain more information. They reused their targets' stolen credentials to access victims' other personal and business accounts, as well as government portals.
“The Russian government implemented this scheme to steal sensitive information from Americans, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing their credentials,” Assistant Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. “With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will work tirelessly to expose Russian actors and cybercriminals and deprive them of the tools of their illicit trade.”
Last December, the United States charged Ruslan Alexandrovich Peretyatro, a member of the Callisto group, with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, saying he was involved in these spear phishing attacks.
In its blog post published Thursday, Microsoft said the domain seizures will allow its investigators to obtain “valuable intelligence” on Russian state actors, “which we can use to improve the security of our products, share with cross-sector partners to help assist them in their own investigations and identify and assist victims in their reparation efforts. But the tech company said it expects cybercriminals to establish new infrastructure in the coming weeks and months.
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Nicole Sganga
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