Hunt accuses Russian spies after global wave of indiscriminate cyber attacks

RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE service the GRU is responsible for a wave of global cyber attacks says Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt accused the GRU of waging a campaign of “indiscriminate and reckless” cyber strikes targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that a number of hackers known to have launched attacks have now been identified as the GRU.

The move will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March which dead.

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence.

Among targets of the GRU attacks were the World Anti-Doping left one person Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine and elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race, according to the NCSC.

Mr Hunt said: “These cyber attacks serve no legitimate national security interest, instead impacting the ability of people around the world to go about their daily lives free from interference, and even their ability to enjoy sport.

“The GRU’s actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens.

“This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences. Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU’s attempts to undermine international stability.”

The NCSC said it was “almost certainly” the GRU behind a “BadRabbit” attack in 2017 that caused disruption to Ukraine’s Kiev metro and Odessa airport.