Category Archives: Federal Security Service

Actions Target Russian Govt. Botnet, Hydra Dark Market

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The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has disrupted a giant botnet built and operated by a Russian government intelligence unit known for launching destructive cyberattacks against energy infrastructure in the United States and Ukraine. Separately, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Germany moved to decapitate “Hydra,” a billion-dollar Russian darknet drug bazaar that also helped to launder the profits of multiple Russian ransomware groups. Continue reading Actions Target Russian Govt. Botnet, Hydra Dark Market→

Adventures in Contacting the Russian FSB

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KrebsOnSecurity recently had occasion to contact the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In the process of doing so, I encountered a small snag: The FSB’s website said in order to contact them securely, I needed to download and install an encryption and virtual private networking (VPN) appliance that is flagged by at least 20 antivirus products as malware.

The reason I contacted the FSB — one of the successor agencies to the Russian KGB — ironically enough had to do with security concerns raised about the FSB’s own preferred method of being contacted. Continue reading Adventures in Contacting the Russian FSB→

Russians Shut Down Huge Card Fraud Ring

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Federal investigators in Russia have charged at least 25 people accused of operating a sprawling international credit card theft ring. Cybersecurity experts say the raid included the charging of a major carding kingpin thought to be tied to dozens of carding shops and to some of the bigger data breaches targeting western retailers over the past decade.

In a statement released this week, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said 25 individuals were charged with circulating illegal means of payment in connection with some 90 websites that sold stolen credit card data. Continue reading Russians Shut Down Huge Card Fraud Ring→

Russia’s FSB wanted its own IoT botnet

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If you thought the Mirai botnet was bad, what about a version under the control of Russia’s military that it could point like an electronic cannon at people it didn’t like? Continue reading Russia’s FSB wanted its own IoT botnet→

Telegram Ordered to Hand Over Encryption Keys to Russian Authorities

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Popular secure messaging service loses battle with Russian courts and now must hand over encryption keys or face being blocked from country. Continue reading Telegram Ordered to Hand Over Encryption Keys to Russian Authorities→