Dutch authorities identify Russian cybercriminals as perpetrators behind police hacking incidents
Russian Hacker Group Targeted Dutch Police, Intelligence Services Assert
Dutch intelligence services have implicated a Russian hacker group known as "Laundry Bear" or "Void Blizzard" in last year's cyberattacks on the Dutch police. According to Peter Reesink, the chief of the Dutch military intelligence service, this hacker group has successfully penetrated sensitive data from a range of global organizations and companies, with a particular focus on EU and NATO nations.
The alleged attacks have targeted military forces, governments, arms companies, and IT service providers in multiple countries. Investigations suggest that Laundry Bear is likely backed by the Russian state. The Dutch police's cyberattack in September 2021 was part of a broader campaign against Western states, the intelligence services assert.
This hacker group has reportedly been involved in a series of cyberattacks aimed at Western states, with the primary objective of extraction of defense-related intelligence and information concerning Western arms supplies to Ukraine. Dutch authorities believe Laundry Bear is a "highly probable" Russian state-supported threat actor. This assessment is consistent with patterns observed in other Western countries, where Kremlin-linked hackers have been behind similar attacks.
The group's activities, revealed through successful infiltration of Dutch police networks and attacks on defense contractors, aim to expose technical methods with the intent of improving defenses against future attacks. The authorities hope this revelation will enhance the nation's cybersecurity measures.
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- The Russian hacker group, Laundry Bear or Void Blizzard, was accused by Dutch intelligence of carrying out cyberattacks on the Dutch police, which were part of a broader political campaign against Western states.
- The alleged attacks by Laundry Bear, a suspected Russian state-supported hacker group, aimed at extraction of defense-related intelligence and information concerning Western arms supplies to Ukraine, are a significant concern for the field of cybersecurity.
- The Dutch police's cyberattack in September 2021, a part of the overall campaign against Western states, highlighted the threat posed by technology-savvy crime-and-justice groups such as Laundry Bear, and reinforced the need for advanced cybersecurity measures in the general-news sphere.
