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U.S. charges 4 Russian government workers with hacking energy sector:
The U.S. Justice Department fired another legal salvo against Russia on Thursday, announcing indictments against four Russian government employees for an alleged hacking campaign targeting the energy sector that lasted for years and targeted computers in 135 countries.
An indictment in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charges that Evgeny Viktorovich Gladkikh, who worked at a Russian Ministry of Defense research institute, conspired with others to damage critical infrastructure outside the United States, causing emergency shutdowns at one foreign facility. Thosecharged in the indictment, under seal since June 2021, also allegedly tried to hack the computers of a U.S. firm that managed similar facilities in the United States.
A separate indictment filed in Kansas alleges that a hacking campaign launched by Russian's federal security service, or FSB, targeted computers at hundreds of energy-related entities around the world. That indictment was also filed under seal last summer.
The hacking activity took place between 2012 and 2018, U.S. officials said. The decision to reveal the indictments underscores the concern U.S. and European officials have about Russia unleashing a wave of cyberattacks on the West in response to a new wave of sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said there is an "urgent ongoing need for American businesses to harden their defenses and remain vigilant." She said Russian state-sponsored hackers "pose a serious and persistent threat to critical infrastructure both in the United States and around the world."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday March 29 2022, @12:59AM (3 children)
Bad things happen to people who aren't properly prepared to avoid those bad things. Have you noticed the situation Ukraine is in today? You lock your valuables up in your bedroom safe, or some such. You lock your door when you leave the house, if you don't always keep it locked. You lock your car and take the keys with you when you park the car. And, you disconnect critical infrastructure from the world wide web. To repeat myself, it is OUR fault that Russians can access our infrastructure. That doesn't make them good guys, they are still bad guys. But, it's OUR fault that our valuable possessions are strewn along the curb, waiting for someone to pick them up and take them home.
Do you routinely leave briefcases full of money open in the park for the wind to blow the bills away?
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday March 29 2022, @03:12PM
If a criminal attacks you, it is not the victim's fault. Whether or not the victim had adequate defenses or protection.
Am I supposed to make sure my house is safe against an anti tank missile?
I agree that we have not secured out infrastructure as well as we should.
That does not make Russia any less to blame for an attack.
Let me be clear: it is the attacker's (eg criminal's) fault regardless of the defense level of the victim.
I doubt this is a fair analogy to the state of insecurity that the Russians exploited.
While Republicans can get over Trump's sexual assaults, affairs, and vulgarity; they cannot get over Obama being black.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday March 29 2022, @05:12PM (1 child)
And if I kick your front door down it's your fault you didn't have a secure enough front door.
And if you get a better front door but I use a battering ram it's your fault you didn't have a battering ram proof door.
And if you get a better door but I pick the lock it's your fault for not having a better lock.
And if you get a better lock but I come in through the window it's your fault for not having a better window...
Or....we make breaking and entering illegal. Seems a lot simpler!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday March 29 2022, @05:25PM
A: We don't enforce the laws we already have very effectively.
B: US courts don't have jurisdiction over Russian hackers.
C: Russia is very unlikely to extradite Russian hackers to put them within US jurisdiction.
How 'bout we stay here in reality, and understand that there are bad people in the world. You and I have some responsibility for protecting ourselves. Our government and our infrastructure providers have a responsibility to protect our assets, instead of whining and moaning that there are bad people trying to take advantage.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.