CONFIDENTIAL/SENSITIVE SOURCE
26 July 2015
RUSSIA/CYBER CRIME: A SYNOPOSIS OF RUSSIAN STATE SPONSORED AND OPTHER CYBER OFFENSIVE (CRIMINAL) OPERATIONS
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Russia has extensive programme of state-sponsored offensive cyber operations. External targets include foreign governments and big corporations, especially banks. FSB leads on cyber within Russian apparatus. Limited success in attacking top foreign targets like G7 governments, security services and IFIs but much more on second tier ones through IT back doors, using corporate and other visitors to Russia
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FSB often uses coercion and blackmail to recruit most capable cyber operatives in Russia into its state-sponsored programmes. Heavy use also, both wittingly and unwittingly, of CIS emigres working in western corporations and ethnic Russians employed by neighbouring governments e.g. Latvia.
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Example cited of successful Russian cyber operation targeting senior Western business visitor. Provided back door into important Western institutions.
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Example given of US citizen of Russian origin approached by FSB and offered incentive of "investment" in his business when visiting Moscow
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Problems however for Russian authorities themselves in countering local hackers and cyber criminals, operating outside state control. Central Bank claims there were over 20 serious attacks on correspondent accounts held by CBR in 2015, comprising Roubles several billion in fraud
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Some details given of leading non-state Russian cyber criminal groups