Russian Group 'Hijacked' Iran Spy Operation To Attack 35 Countries

UK intelligence has exposed a Russian-based hacking group that hijacked APT34 to carry out cyber attacks in 35 countries (file photo)

Reuters: Hacking the hackers: Russian group hijacked Iranian spying operation, officials say

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian hackers piggy-backed on an Iranian cyber-espionage operation to attack government and industry organizations in dozens of countries while masquerading as attackers from the Islamic Republic, British and U.S. officials said on Monday.

The Russian group, known as “Turla” and accused by Estonian and Czech authorities of operating on behalf of Russia’s FSB security service, has used Iranian tools and computer infrastructure to successfully hack in to organizations in at least 20 different countries over the last 18 months, British security officials said.

The hacking campaign, the extent of which has not been previously revealed, was most active in the Middle East but also targeted organizations in Britain, they said.

Paul Chichester, a senior official at Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency, said the operation shows state-backed hackers are working in a “very crowded space” and developing new attacks and methods to better cover their tracks.

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More News On NSA/GCHQ Claims That Russian Hackers Disguised As Iranian Spies Attacked 35 Countries

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