Category Archives: Defacement

Maria Butina, the Russian national accused of spying on the U.S., took a keen interest in a D.C.-based organization’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities soon after the group was hit by phishing attempts and its website was defaced with fake Islamic State messaging, according to a consultant who helped the group recover from the incident. The organization, which works on civil rights issues, was targeted through a “social engineering campaign,” said Jon Steinman, the co-founder of HillCyber, a cybersecurity consultancy. Soon afterward, Butina sent an email to the organization “asking to come meet with folks and interview them about their vulnerabilities,” said Steinman, who declined to name the group. Although the indictment against Butina centers on how she ingratiated herself with U.S. conservatives, her interest in left-leaning organizations also has been documented — the Washington Post reported that in the summer of 2017, “Butina began probing groups on the left … trying unsuccessfully to interview a D.C.-based civil rights group about […]

The post Why did Maria Butina want info on a phished civil rights group? appeared first on Cyberscoop.

Continue reading Why did Maria Butina want info on a phished civil rights group?→