Information
German intelligence officials are currently investigating a suspected Russian cyberattack on the German Association for East European Studies (DGO), a research group focusing on foreign policy and international relations. The DGO, along with several other organizations, has been labeled as “undesirable” by Moscow. The attack, which involved unauthorized access to email traffic, was made public by the DGO at the end of March. It was later linked to the Russian hacker group APT 29, also known as “Cozy Bear,” known for similar cyber espionage activities. This group is also suspected of deploying malware against various German political parties.
In response to these cyber threats, both the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Germany are actively working on the case. The seriousness of the situation is underscored by additional reports of stalking, physical break-ins at the DGO’s Berlin headquarters, and other hostile acts against German institutes deemed undesirable by Russia. Despite efforts to enhance their cybersecurity measures since a similar incident last year, the DGO has expressed concerns about their ability to fend off such sophisticated attacks, highlighting the challenges faced by smaller organizations in protecting themselves against state-level cyber threats. Furthermore, German security authorities have issued warnings to approximately 70 academic institutions about the risk of Russian cyberattacks, signaling the broad scope and potential impact of these operations.
Source: dpa, DW
So what
Though it is almost certain that the Russian government directed this attack and the other forms of intimidation, proving it will be extremely difficult. This is likely just another part of Russia’s grey zone operations in Europe designed to sow discontent and chaos, thereby weakening the block. It is likely they do not want any competing narratives around Russia’s history in Europe as this allows them to control the story.
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