A group of Russian hackers has spent the last year targeting nuclear scientists, defense contractors, and government employees in a cyber-espionage campaign, according to private-sector researchers and warnings from spy agencies released Thursday.
Russian Interests
Their targets suggested an interest in nuclear fusion technology and intelligence that may aid in the Kremlin’s war with Ukraine. US email security firm Proofpoint, which investigated some of the activity, said the hackers went after email servers used by “nuclear installations and the defense industrial base” in the US.
The hackers used a rare software exploit that only requires a target with a vulnerable email system to open an email, rather than clicking on any links. The exploit is capable of stealing three months of a victim’s email communications along with an entire organization’s email directory, the federal advisory said.
Government Response
The Department of Energy, which oversees multiple research labs focused on nuclear energy, did not respond to a request for comment on Proofpoint’s findings. The FBI and National Security Agency said officials were not immediately available for interviews about the federal advisory.
Federal and local governments, law enforcement as well as the defense, education and energy sectors were all targeted in the cyber activity, the US and its allies said without divulging specifics.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
