KazPost

Kazakhstan News
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

The FBI managed to prevent the actions of Russian hackers

The FBI managed to prevent the actions of Russian hackers

The FBI succeeded in thwarting Russian hackers, gained control of thousands of devices that had previously been seized by cybercriminals believed to be under the direction of Russian military intelligence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation gained control of thousands of Internet routers and hardware firewalls previously hacked by Russian military hackers using the same tools used by Moscow-based cybercriminals to communicate with devices, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.

A cutscene statement released today describes the unusual operation as a pre-emptive measure to prevent Russian hackers from attempting to assemble compromised devices into a “botnet,” a network of compromised computers that can be used by hackers to attack other servers with streams of Internet traffic.

“Fortunately, we were able to stop this botnet from forming before it was used,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

The Russian embassy in Washington has not yet responded to a request for comment from the US Department of Justice.

The botnet assembled by hackers was controlled using the Cyclops Blink virus program, which US and British cyber defense agencies attributed in late February to the “Sandworm” – presumably , one of the hacker groups controlled by Russian military intelligence. This group has been repeatedly accused of committing other cyberattacks.

Cyclops Blink was designed to hack devices manufactured by computer companies WatchGuard Technologies Inc and ASUSTeK Computer Inc, according to private cybersecurity companies. The program allows Russian hackers to gain access to the systems they have hacked, giving them the ability to remotely remove or delete data, as well as use the devices to attack other networks.

Watchguard released a statement confirming its cooperation with the Ministry of Justice to prevent the creation of a botnet, but did not disclose the number of devices affected by hackers, noting that this number is “less than 1% of all WatchGuard devices.”

AsusTek, also known like Asus, has not yet responded to a request for comment.

FBI Director Chris Ray told reporters that his agency, with court permission, secretly accessed thousands of routers and hardware firewalls in order to remove the virus and change the configuration devices.

“We've removed the virus from devices used by thousands of mostly small businesses to support network security around the world,” Ray said. “We closed the door that the Russians used to infiltrate [other networks].”

A document released today notes that the US government has launched an awareness campaign to educate owners of WatchGuard devices about the steps they should take to prevent hacker attacks. It is also reported that so far less than half of the devices previously captured by hackers have been controlled.
Newsletter

Related Articles

KazPost
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
Corruption in the European Parliament - Business as usual
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
Paris Suburb Grapples with Violence as Curfew Imposed: Saint-Denis Residents Express Dismay and Anger
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
Alef Aeronautics Achieves Historic Milestone with Flight Certification for World's First Flying Car
Google Blocked Access to Canadian News in Response to New Legislation
French Politicians Advocate for Pan-European Regulation on Social Media Influencers
×