“Though tough to prove, it is a widely held suspicion that there is a connection between cyberthieves and Russian intelligence,” The New York Times wrote yesterday in a long-read about Evgeniy Bogachev, “the most wanted cybercriminal in the world.”
The activities of Bogachev, who had taken control over a million computers in multiple countries, may have “created an irresistible opportunity for espionage for Russia’s surveillance-obsessed intelligence community,” believes the US newspaper.
“It is clear that for Russia, [Bogachev] is more than just a criminal. While [he] was draining bank accounts, it appears that the Russian authorities were looking over his shoulder, searching the same computers for files and emails. In effect, they were grafting an intelligence operation onto a far-reaching cybercriminal scheme, sparing themselves the hard work of hacking into the computers themselves,” reports the US newspaper, citing several officials.
Published almost simultaneously, an article by Russia Beyond The Headlines (RBTH) completes the picture of a nuanced reality.
“It’s a gross exaggeration to say [Russian hackers] act in the interests of their government. In fact, they’re a huge headache for the [authorities],” the Russian online publication underlines.
Last year as part of efforts to fight them, a “Center for Counteracting Cyber Threats” was established by Rostec, a major state-owned industrial holding that develops, produces and exports high-tech industrial equipment, including for the military.
Working 24/7, the center protects more than 700 Rostec corporate subsidiaries from cyber attacks. Among these are the maker of high-precision weapons, the United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation, which produces microelectronics, and Tekhmash Concern, a producer of artillery ammunition, as reported by RBTH.
