Russian Cyber Espionage: UK Government Accuses FSB of Conducting Extensive Hacking Campaigns

The UK government has accused Russia's Security Service, the FSB, of an ongoing cyber-hacking campaign targeting politicians and public figures. It is claimed that one group associated with the FSB stole data through cyber-attacks, including material linked to the 2019 election, which was later made public. Among those targeted was an MP who reported that his emails had been stolen. Russia has repeatedly denied these allegations. In response, the UK has summoned Russia's ambassador and imposed sanctions on two individuals, one of whom is a serving FSB officer. The group, believed to be associated with Centre 18 of the FSB, has been conducting targeted hacks against politicians, civil servants, journalists, and others since 2015. The US is also expected to take action against this group. The aim of publicly accusing the FSB-linked group is to disrupt its operations and raise awareness ahead of upcoming major elections worldwide. The UK and the US have been investigating these activities for months before making the public announcements. The National Cyber Security Centre has previously warned about the threat of email hacking from Russia and Iran. The UK and US want to increase awareness of these dangers as they prepare for their respective elections. It is believed that a significant amount of data has been stolen by the FSB group, with only a fraction of it having been made public so far.