U.K. Accuses Russia of Cyber Attacks

Photo from Ukrinform–UATV

The United Kingdom accuses Russia’s military intelligence service GRU of “indiscriminate and reckless cyber attacks targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport,” the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre reports.

The GRU acted under various names including Fancy Bear, Pawnstorm and Tsar Team, and was “almost certainly responsible” for cyber attacks on a number of countries, such as the U.K., the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

Among the attacks were hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency, disruptions of  the Kyiv metro and Odesa airport, Russia’s Central Bank, and two Russian media outlets.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne joined the allegations, condemning Russia’s “malicious cybercrime.”

Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary, said that the U.K. and its allies “will expose and respond to the GRU’s attempts to undermine international stability.”

Earlier, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense and Government Communications Headquarters announced that it will establish a joint task force to counter Russian and other terrorist’s cyber threats.