Hacking and cyber espionage activities between national states keep increasing. According to reports from digital forensics specialists, the Russian government had hacked FBI communications systems to prevent US agents from detecting Russian spies working in American territory and agencies.
The report states that, in addition to the
ability to disrupt their communication systems, the FBI believes that Russian
spies are able to locate their undercover surveillance equipment and intercept
the contents of their confidential communications. Reports of Russian hackers’
activities in US territory began nearly 10 years ago.
Thanks to their capabilities, Russian spies
would not only have managed to bypass the US authorities’ detection, but were
also able to perform some counter-espionage work, gathering information about
their pursuers and on the administration of the former President Barak Obama,
which raised suspicions about a potential Russian spy infiltrating the US
intelligence services, say digital forensics experts.
The first Russian intrusion into FBI systems
dates back to 2010, after the arrest of a group of spies sent from the Kremlin
to the US. Later, the federal agency began investigating Russia’s activities to
infiltrate its agents in America, trying to gain access via some prominent
figures in US politics, such as businessman Carter Page, further linked to the
Trump’s campaign. Later, the Obama administration’s response was the expulsion
of dozens of Russian diplomats and the shutdown of two diplomatic centers in
the US, further relying on the investigation into the alleged Russian
intervention in the presidential election 2016.
Digital forensics experts say both countries
have increased their efforts to develop espionage and hacking activities in
recent years. A couple of months ago, a report published in The New York Times
claimed that Russia
electrical systems had been hacked by the US government, injecting a dangerous
malware capable of crippled all its operations. This report picked up the
testimonies of two alleged officials close to this project, who claim not to
rely on President Trump’s ability to handle this situation. Apparently, the
fears of these officials come from a meeting at the White House in which
President Trump met with senior Russian government officials to reveal classified
information about US intelligence activities in Russian territory.
On the other hand, digital forensics specialists
from the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) reported a major hack
against the Federal Security Service, one of the intelligence agencies of the
Russian government. The reports ensure that US agents were able to extract
nearly 8 terabytes of classified information.
U.S. counter-espionage efforts have led to key
actions, such as identifying a Russian agent infiltrating the CIA on which
other media have revealed some other details.
