Security News > 2020 > October > U.S. Charges 6 Russian Intelligence Officers Over Destructive Cyberattacks

The US government on Monday formally charged six Russian intelligence officers for carrying out destructive malware attacks with an aim to disrupt and destabilize other nations and cause monetary losses.

The individuals, who work for Unit 74455 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, have been accused of perpetrating the "Most disruptive and destructive series of computer attacks ever attributed to a single group," according to the Justice Department.

"The object of the conspiracy was to deploy destructive malware and take other disruptive actions, for the strategic benefit of Russia, through unauthorized access of victim computers," the prosecutors said.

Five years ago, Russian hackers belonging to Sandworm group attacked Ukraine's power grid, Ministry of Finance, and State Treasury Service using malware such as BlackEnergy, Industroyer, and KillDisk, before embarking on a spree of destructive cyberattacks - including unleashing NotPetya in 2017 and targeting the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics with phishing campaigns and "Olympic Destroyer" malware.

Two years back, the US government charged seven officers working for the military intelligence agency for conducting sophisticated computer intrusions against US entities as part of an influence and disinformation campaign designed to counter anti-doping efforts.

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