Security News > 2020 > October > EU slaps extra sanctions on Russian spy chief and APT28 malware dev over 2015 Bundestag hack

The European Union has imposed sanctions on a Russian military malware developer and the commander of Russia's MI6 equivalent, a mere five years after the two targeted Germany's parliament with a cyberattack.

The pair, an admiral commanding the GRU spy agency and a malware dev already on international sanctions lists for targeting the MH17 mass murder investigation, are now subject to yet another travel ban.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a canned statement: "The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Germany and our European partners to hold Russia to account for cyber attacks designed to undermine Western democracies. This criminal behaviour brings the Russian Government into further disrepute."

The Bundestag hack reportedly began with the compromise of a PC used by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a compromise that led to the wider Bundestag network, paralysing the governmental organ for a few days.

With the UK's eventual departure from the EU in January, the government said it will "Implement our own autonomous Cyber Sanctions regime at the end of the Transition Period." Earlier this week the US charged six Russian military hackers with crimes.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2020/10/23/eu_sanctions_gru_russian_hackers/