A beforehand unknown Russian hacker group with suspected ties to the Kremlin was answerable for a cyberattack final 12 months on the Dutch police and has additionally focused different Western nations that ship navy help to Ukraine, intelligence businesses introduced Tuesday.
The businesses stated in a report that the group, which they referred to as Laundry Bear, is actively attempting to steal delicate information from European Union and NATO nations and is “extraordinarily probably Russian state supported.”
“Laundry Bear is after details about the acquisition and manufacturing of navy tools by Western governments and Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine,” Vice Adm. Peter Reesink, director of the navy intelligence company MIVD, stated in a press release.
There was no instant remark from Moscow on the report.
The Netherlands has been a robust supporter of Ukraine’s battle effort since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has given navy tools, together with F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.
The Russian hackers broke right into a police account and accessed work-related contact particulars of all Dutch cops in September final 12 months, in a cyberattack that despatched shockwaves by means of the drive.
The Dutch intelligence businesses revealed an in depth evaluation of strategies utilized by the hacker group to interrupt into pc networks and cloud providers.
Erik Akerboom, chief of the home intelligence company AIVD, stated that outlining the group’s work implies that “not solely governments, but additionally producers, suppliers and different targets can arm themselves in opposition to this type of espionage. This limits Laundry Bear’s probabilities of success and digital networks may be higher protected.”Commercial. Scroll to proceed studying.
The assault found within the Netherlands is one in every of a rising quantity world wide.
Final week, the U.S. Nationwide Safety Company stated that hackers working for Russian navy intelligence focused Western know-how and logistics firms concerned in transport help to Ukraine.
And final month, the French authorities accused a hacking group linked to Russian navy intelligence of cyberattacks over three years, concentrating on the Paris Olympics, French authorities businesses and corporations.