By The Smartencyclopedia Staff  & Agencies

Date: February 16, 2024

In a significant joint effort, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its international allies have successfully thwarted a Russian cyber espionage operation targeting the United States and its European partners, according to statements made by FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday.

Wray revealed that the law enforcement operation focused on dismantling a network of over 1,000 hacked internet routers utilized by Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, for conducting cyber espionage operations. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Wray disclosed that a court order was employed to cut off access to these compromised routers, effectively locking out the Russian military intelligence agency from their cyber surveillance activities.

The hacked routers, organized into a network known as a botnet, were being employed by Russian hackers to target both the United States and foreign governments. The Justice Department disclosed that their operations extended to “military, security, and corporate organizations” with the primary aim of intelligence gathering.

The Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, has not responded to the allegations made by Wray.

During his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Wray reiterated the long-standing concerns of the United States regarding cyber threats from Russia and China. He warned that hacking teams supported by these nations have been attempting to establish a foothold in the US energy and telecommunications networks. There are growing fears that such access could be exploited to disrupt networks in the event of a crisis.

Wray highlighted a troubling trend related to Russia’s activities in the US energy sector, stating, “We’ve seen Russia conducting reconnaissance on the US energy sector,” and expressed concern over the potential escalation from information gathering to a rapid and unnoticed attack.

The revelation of the FBI operation coincides with new intelligence reports concerning Russia’s military capabilities, particularly its efforts to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space, as reported by CNN. Wray emphasized the destructive nature of Russia’s cyberattacks, stating, “Russia has made murder, rape, and mayhem its stock and trade, so no one should question its continued willingness to launch destructive cyberattacks before and during military conflict.”

Moreover, Wray delivered a stark warning about Chinese hackers, asserting that they are preparing to “wreak havoc” on US critical infrastructure in a crisis. He disclosed that China has been “prepositioning” in US oil and natural gas company networks since 2011, with the cyber threat escalating in recent times.

The Chinese government routinely denies these allegations, often accusing the US of engaging in hacking operations against China.

This recent announcement by the FBI follows its strategy of using court orders to disrupt complex hacking operations conducted by Russian spy agencies. Wray previously went public with a similar operation after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, targeting a different GRU hacking team and neutralizing a botnet comprising thousands of infected hardware devices.

While US intelligence agencies actively employ hacking operations to counter cyber threats from rival nations, details of these actions are rarely made public, in contrast to the FBI’s court-authorized disclosures. The joint efforts with international allies signify a proactive stance in combating the rising challenges posed by state-sponsored cyber espionage.