WASHINGTON — Four Russian nationals who worked for their government committed cyberattacks against hundreds of companies in the energy sector worldwide, including the operator of a nuclear power facility in Kansas, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday as part of a sweeping pair of indictments aimed at curbing state-sponsored hacks.
Federal prosecutors alleged an employee affiliated with Russia’s defense ministry installed “back doors” in computer systems and deployed malware aimed at crippling the safety of energy facilities. A separate indictment alleges three employees of the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, undertook a years-long effort to target and compromise computer systems across the energy sector.
The Justice Department alleges both conspiracies occurred between 2012 and 2018, and targeted thousands of computers in about 135 countries. A senior law enforcement official said that although the hacks didn’t extend beyond 2018, they underscore ongoing threats to critical infrastructure. On Monday, President Joe Biden warned of “evolving intelligence” that Russia could wage retaliatory cyberattacks against the U.S. for sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine.
