Berlin, Germany has accused Russia of being behind a series of cyberattacks that targeted German officials in 2022. The German Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian charge d’affaires over the accusations and stated that Germany and its partners will not tolerate cyber attacks and will take all measures to prevent, deter, and retaliate against Russia’s aggressive behavior in cyberspace.
The German Interior Ministry revealed that the APT28 hacker group, believed to be linked to the Russian Military Intelligence Agency (GRU), exploited security vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Outlook application to breach the email accounts of German officials. The attacks targeted various sectors including defense, space, information technology, and logistics. The ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) was also hit by these attacks.
Germany is working quickly to close security gaps and is coordinating with the European Union (EU) and NATO to address the threat of Russian cyberattacks. This is particularly important as upcoming elections in European countries loom on the horizon. The Russian Embassy in Germany has denied all accusations, calling them baseless and accusing the German Foreign Ministry of taking unfriendly steps to provoke anti-Russian sentiment.
APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, is considered one of the most dangerous hacker groups globally, specializing in cyber reconnaissance. The group has been accused of targeting various organizations and government agencies, including the Democratic National Committee in the US and government entities in Germany, Denmark, and France. These attacks often occur before significant events such as elections and referendums.