France on Tuesday explicitly accused a Russian army intelligence company of mounting cyber assaults on a dozen entities during the last decade, together with towards a company concerned within the 2024 Paris Olympics and Emmanuel Macron’s first presidential marketing campaign in 2017.
Since 2021, a department of Russian army intelligence (GRU) devoted to such assaults has additionally focused a dozen French entities together with “defense, financial and economic sectors”, the overseas ministry mentioned.
“France condemns in the strongest terms the use by Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU) of the APT28 attack group, at the origin of several cyberattacks on French interests,” the overseas ministry mentioned in an announcement.
The GRU “has been carrying out cyberattacks against France for several years using a method known as APT28”, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot mentioned in a message on X, formally attributing these cyberattacks to the GRU for the primary time.
‘Massive hacking operation’
APT28, often known as Fancy Bear, has been linked to dozens of worldwide cyberattacks together with the 2016 U.S. election, the place it was accused of aiding Donald Trump by leaking Democratic Party emails and people of the marketing campaign of Hillary Clinton.
The group targets private e mail accounts to retrieve knowledge and messages, or acquire entry to different machines on a system.
In 2017, hackers hit Macron’s first presidential run, leaking hundreds of paperwork barely 24 hours earlier than the vote.
“In the midst of the presidential election, APT28 participated in a massive hacking operation” aiming “to sow doubt and influence public opinion”, France’s overseas ministry mentioned in a video shared by Barrot on X.
“Thousands of documents were stolen and disseminated, hoping to manipulate voters, but the manoeuvre failed to really impact the electoral process,” the video continues, referring to the 2017 leak.
Macron simply gained the election in a second-round runoff towards far-right veteran Marine Le Pen. French officers have additionally warned up to now over the chance of interference in elections set for 2027, when Macron can’t stand once more due to time period limits, and the far proper is predicted to be a significant contender.
The video added that entities in France attacked since 2021 embrace these “working in the daily lives of French people and include public services, private enterprises as well as a sport organization involved in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games”.
Media is among the hackers’ most well-liked targets, the overseas ministry added.
In 2015, ATP28, posing as Daesh terrorists, hacked the French-language channel TV5 Monde “to manipulate public opinion” and “create a panic in France”, it mentioned.
France has been a frequent goal of Islamist assaults during the last decade, notably in 2015 when the Bataclan live performance corridor and the nationwide stadium had been attacked.
‘Constant stress’
France shouldn’t be APT28’s solely goal, with a number of worldwide intelligence providers, together with German authorities, warning in September 2024 of Fancy Bear cyberattacks towards NATO international locations.
The group is “targeting our partners,” the overseas ministry video mentioned, including that Ukraine has been one of many group’s “priorities” since Russia launched its invasion of the nation in February 2022.
“APT28 is also being used to exert constant pressure on Ukrainian infrastructure in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the overseas ministry mentioned.
And Poland, a staunch ally of Kyiv, warned in latest months that Moscow would possibly search to intervene with a presidential vote set for May 18 by way of cyberattacks and disinformation.
France and Poland will signal a “friendship treaty” on May 9, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin presiding over an enormous parade in Moscow on the identical day as Russia marks victory in World War II.
“Alongside its partners, France is determined to use all the means at its disposal to anticipate Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace, discourage it and respond to it where necessary,” the overseas ministry mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com