Hacker Group 'Cozy Bear' Also Involved in 2016 US Election Interference
US-Russia Tensions Likely to Worsen Over Cybersecurity Disputes
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] It has been reported that a hacker group linked to the Russian government recently infiltrated the U.S. Republican National Committee (RNC).
The RNC is the headquarters that oversees the U.S. Republican Party's policies, organizational operations, fundraising, and election strategies. If information leakage or other damages are confirmed, it is expected to cause a significant ripple effect.
On the 6th (local time), Bloomberg News reported that members of the hacker group 'Cozy Bear,' known to be linked to Russian intelligence agencies, are presumed to be behind the attack.
Bloomberg News stated that the hackers appear to have attempted a cyberattack through Synnex, one of the companies providing IT services to the RNC.
The media, citing sources, reported that this infiltration incident coincided with the recent ransomware attack incidents and that the hacker group attempted to penetrate the RNC's internal computer network.
Earlier, on the 2nd, the Russian private hacker group REvil launched ransomware attacks targeting over 1,500 companies worldwide and demanded $70 million (approximately 79 billion KRW) in cryptocurrency as a condition for data recovery.
An RNC spokesperson stated, "There is no indication that the Republican Party's internal systems were directly exposed or that information was leaked in this attack," adding, "We are currently investigating this matter and have requested an investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)."
Cozy Bear is a group that previously infiltrated the Democratic National Committee (DNC) servers during the 2016 presidential election and was also involved in the SolarWinds incident at the end of last year, a large-scale hacking attack targeting U.S. government agencies and companies.
Earlier, the U.S. intelligence authorities have been on alert after Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. oil pipeline company, and JBS SA, one of the world's largest meat processing companies, were recently targeted by ransomware attacks from Russian-based hacker groups.
In response, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin during their first summit last month that if cyberattacks against the United States continue, there will be serious consequences.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and U.S. President Joe Biden (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, with the recent ransomware attacks followed by cyberattacks on major U.S. political parties, there are concerns that the cyber security conflict between the U.S. and Russia could escalate further.
A representative from cybersecurity firm FireEye warned, "Amid the chaos caused by recent ransomware attacks, attacks by hackers linked to the Russian government are also increasing."
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the recent hacking attacks will be discussed at the upcoming meeting between senior officials from the U.S. and Russia scheduled for next week.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
