US disrupts hacking operation led by Russian intelligence

The FBI, working with other countries, disrupted a Russian hacking operation that infiltrated more than a thousand home and small business Internet routers in the United States and around the world, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Russian intelligence, working with cybercriminals, has created a botnet, or a network of private computers infected with malicious software, to spy on military and security organizations and private companies in countries such as the United States.

Under court orders, the FBI secretly copied and deleted stolen data and malware from hacked routers. This halted Russia's ability to use the routers without affecting their operation. officials said.

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray shared details of the operation at an annual security conference in Munich.

The disruption is part of a broader effort to thwart Russian cyber campaigns against the United States and its allies, including Ukraine. The details of the operation come a day after the Biden administration said it had told Congress and its European allies that Russia wants to create a space-based nuclear weapon to target the US network of satellites.

For weeks, the White House and advocates in Congress have been trying to convince House Republicans to continue funding Ukraine's military operations against Russia, saying it is critical to U.S. national security.

Speaking in Munich, Mr Wray said Russia continues to target critical infrastructure such as underwater cables and industrial control systems around the world.

“For example, since the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we have seen Russia conduct reconnaissance on the US energy sector,” Mr Wray said. “And that's a particularly worrying trend because we know that once access is established, a hacker can quickly move from information gathering to attack without notice.”

Mr Wray warned that China's cyber warfare capabilities have also continued to improve.

“The cyber threat from the Chinese government is enormous,” Mr Wray said. “China's hacking program is bigger than that of all other major countries combined.”

Last month, the FBI announced it disrupted a similar campaign from China that targeted critical infrastructure, often by infiltrating small businesses, contractors or local government networks. In recent months, the FBI and Department of Justice have warned of an increase in malicious activity against the United States by China, Iran and Russia.