UK and Allies Expose Russian Special Forces' Cyber Warfare Operations
The United States and its allies have identified a group of Russian military intelligence hackers linked to Unit 29155 of Russia's Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (GRU). Known by various names such as Cadet Blizzard and Greyscale, these hackers are part of the GRU's 161st Specialist Training Center. They have been involved in numerous cyber operations targeting Ukraine, the US, and other countries across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. These operations are part of a broader strategy that combines physical and digital warfare.
Federal prosecutors in the US have charged five Russian military members with orchestrating a cyberattack on Ukrainian computer systems in January 2022, just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The attack, named "WhisperGate," targeted computers maintained by the Ukrainian government to sow distrust among the population. The hackers also accessed and sold personal data of Ukrainian citizens and targeted systems in 26 NATO countries, including a US government agency in Maryland. The Department of Justice has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on five Russian military intelligence officers believed to be part of Unit 29155.
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and its allies have highlighted Unit 29155's sustained campaign of cyber activities over the past four years. These activities include multiple computer network intrusions and the use of WhisperGate malware in cyber warfare operations against Ukraine. The unit, composed of junior active-duty GRU personnel and third-party contractors, has conducted thousands of domain scanning exercises targeting critical infrastructure sectors in NATO and EU member states.
