US indicts four Russians for campaign of hacks on energy sector
- The cyberattacks by the defendants – who worked for the Russian government – involved hundreds of companies worldwide
- The charges come amid warnings by Biden that Moscow may target US firms and organisations as retaliation for Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine
Four Russian nationals who worked for the government committed cyberattacks against hundreds of companies in the energy sector worldwide, the US Justice Department announced Thursday as part of a sweeping pair of indictments aimed at curbing state-sponsored hacks.
Federal prosecutors allege an employee affiliated with Russia’s defence ministry installed “back doors” in computer systems and deployed malware aimed at crippling the safety of energy facilities.
A separate indictment alleges three employees of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, undertook a years-long effort to target and compromise computer systems across the energy sector.
The Justice Department alleges both conspiracies occurred between 2012 and 2018, and targeted thousands of computers in about 135 countries.
A senior law enforcement official said that although the hacks did not extend beyond 2018, they underscore ongoing threats to critical infrastructure.
“Russian state-sponsored hackers pose a serious and persistent threat to critical infrastructure both in the United States and around the world,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.