The British government today accused the Russian Security Service (FSB) of running a hacking campaign dating back to 2015 that largely targeted politicians, journalists and other prominent figures in the public space, and announced sanctions for those allegedly involved.
The government said sensitive data, including information related to the 2019 election, was stolen and then made public as part of the cyberattack.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron condemned this action, stating that “Russia’s attempts to interfere in British politics are completely unacceptable and seek to threaten the democratic process.”
“By sanctioning those responsible and recalling the Russian ambassador today, we are exposing their nefarious attempts at influence and providing another example of how Russia chooses to operate on the global stage,” he said.
He further said that they would continue to work with allies to “expose Russia’s covert cyber activities” and hold it accountable for its actions.
“An attack on our democratic institutions is an attack on Britain’s most basic values ​​and freedoms,” said Home Secretary James Cleverly.
Europe Minister Leo Doherty detailed to the House of Commons an alleged cyber interference campaign targeting MPs, journalists and other prominent figures in the UK.
“The targets of these attacks include not only politicians and government officials, but also journalists, universities, NGOs and other civil organizations important to the country’s democracy,” he said.
The group responsible will operate under different names (Star Blizzard, Cold River or Seaborgium), but behind it will be hidden Center 18, a unit within the Russian FSB, according to what is reported by the British Government.
The methods used by Star Blizzard include phishing attacks on parliamentarians from various parties since at least 2015, hacking of trade documents between the UK and the United States ahead of the 2019 election, and infiltration of the accounts of important figures.
Although some attacks resulted in leaks, the British Government assured that these efforts were unsuccessful. (Late)