DOJ Charges 6 Russians With Worldwide Hacking, Targets Include France, Ukraine And 2018 Olympics

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday indictments for six Russian military hackers who were part of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).

“No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages and to satisfy fits of spite,”Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said Monday. The six hackers began their work in 2015, according to the DOJ. The hackers “engaged in computer intrusions and attacks” to undermine, retaliate against and destabilize foreign nations and foreign elections. Between December 2015 and 2016 the hackers used destructive malware against Ukraine’s power grid, Ministry of Finance and State Treasury Service.