Russian Intelligence Services: News & Discussion

70mn cyberattacks, mostly foreign, targeted Russia’s critical infrastructure in 2016 – FSB

https://www.rt.com/news/374973-cyber-attacks-russian-infrastracture/

Seventy million cyberattacks [targeted] relevant facilities of the Russian Federation during this year,” the official told a State Duma committee for Information Policy, adding that the bulk of the attacks originated from abroad.

Touching on Russia’s readiness to ward off the mounting number of cyber threats, Murashov insisted that “at present, Russia has sufficient potential in the development of means of information security.”

However, while many major Russian companies, such as state-controlled energy giant Gazprom and those in charge of critical railway infrastructure, are considered well-protected, there are enterprises that remain particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

“There are companies, where, from our point of view, there is not enough attention being paid to this issue,” Murashev said.

The committee’s meeting was centered on debate over a new bill titled “On the Security of Critical Infrastructure of the Russian Federation,” that is designed to ensure that all companies deemed to be a part of Russia’s critical infrastructure are equipped with effective means to fight off the cyberattacks.

The draft bill envisions that a special register of all companies and agencies that control objects of critical infrastructure be drawn up. Once the entity is in the list, it will be obliged to purchase means for detection and countering cyberwarfare, as well as to report all attempts to disrupt their information security to the relevant state bodies and provide assistance in the investigations that follow. The companies will be divided into three groups, gauging the degree to which their infrastructure is critical.

The bill, which is still in the works, was reportedly backed by State Duma’s Committees for Security and Information Policy on Tuesday, paving the way for its final passage by lawmakers, Russia’s Izvestia daily reported, citing State Duma sources.

So far, it is unclear what state agency will be entrusted with the right to choose the companies for the list, although the FSB has been touted as the most likely pick.

Apart from measures to enhance the protection of critical infrastructure objects, the bill aims to deter potential cyberattacks with heavier punishments. Perpetrators who are writing and spreading malicious computer programs with a purpose of attacking Russia’s critical information infrastructure would face up to 10 years in jail.

This comes after a number of Russia’s security bodes spoke of a heightened threat to Russia’s cybersecurity, citing an increased rate of hacking attacks.

Earlier in January, the head of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily that Russia has witnessed “a growing number of attempts to inflict damage to Russian information systems from abroad,” by means of hacking attacks and unlawful collection of personal data. Patrushev noted that while Washington under Barack Obama’s administration was constantly accusing Russia of hacking, “all major internet servers are located on US territory and are used by Washington for intelligence and other purposes aimed at retaining [US] dominance in the world.”

In December, the FSB issued an alert, warning of an imminent cyberattack that it said was about to target Russia’s financial system. The FSB traced the planned large-scale attack to servers and command centers in the Netherlands belonging to a Ukrainian hosting company. Russia’s Communications Ministry has worked out potential counter-measures in connection with the

FSB officers arrested were accused of collaborating with the CIA

https://defence.ru/article/arestovannikh-oficerov-fsb-obvinili-v-sotrudnichestve-s-cru/

Who knows the average sentence for traitors within the Russian government agency ranks? I wish its a life imprisonment in a remote Siberian gulag! if its not then I strongly suggest they do so immediately.

miketheterrible wrote:Life in prison in Russia is a joke sentence. Its roughly 15 years behind bars.

Sentences for Espionage in the US seems tougher, why is Russia not following this? Russia is more vulnerable to foreign spies given the number of American vassal countries in NATO.

Project Canada wrote:

miketheterrible wrote:Life in prison in Russia is a joke sentence. Its roughly 15 years behind bars.

Sentences for Espionage in the US seems tougher, why is Russia not following this? Russia is more vulnerable to foreign spies given the number of American vassal countries in NATO.

This is the legacy of Yeltsin and Euro-philia. The model is Western Europe and not the USA. Hence, no death penalty.

My approach would be to crank up the prison terms in lieu of the death penalty. I like the US consecutive life sentences for serial murders.

According NYT Obama had authorized Cyberwarfare Attack on North Korean Missile program and some of those missile taking off and falling off has been attributed to US Cyber Program.

Now I remember Obama and Biden were gloating that they have authorised some unspecfied action against Russia for their claimed US election hack.

Could it be possible those two morons might have authorised some sabotage against Russian Missile and Space program or even action against Russian Presidential Aircraft fleet via Cyber Attack ?

Austin wrote:According NYT Obama had authorized Cyberwarfare Attack on North Korean Missile program and some of those missile taking off and falling off has been attributed to US Cyber Program.

Now I remember Obama and Biden were gloating that they have authorised some unspecfied action against Russia for their claimed US election hack.

Could it be possible those two morons might have authorised some sabotage against Russian Missile and Space program or even action against Russian Presidential Aircraft fleet via Cyber Attack ?

One does not put Russian and NK missiles on the same level, NYT is full of crap.

Apple, Samsung, Microsoft: WikiLeaks blows lid on scale of CIA’s hacking arsenal

https://www.rt.com/news/379757-your-whole-life-is-hacked/

According to the preliminary release, the CIA has the capability to hack, record and even control everyday technology used by billions of people around the world.

These include smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and even vehicles with remote control navigation systems.

On these devices themselves, the CIA can allegedly hack into some of the world’s most heavily encrypted social media and communications platforms such as WhatsApp, Weibo, Confide, Signal and Telegram before any encryption can even be applied.

For example, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption means that only the direct participants in a conversation can read messages; not even WhatsApp is capable of reading them.

The CIA, however, was able to hack into individual private WhatsApp messages before encryption could even be applied.

“Your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read your message,” the company writes on their website.

To understand the sheer scale of the leak and of the CIA’s high tech surveillance operations, the hierarchy of divisions within the agency’s cyber division can be looked at below.



According to WikiLeaks, the manufacturing division for the Agency’s hacking tools, or ‘zero days’ as they are dubbed in the leaks, is the EDG (Engineering Development Group), which is under the umbrella of the agency’s CCI (Center for Cyber Intelligence).

Smartphone devices

The CIA's Mobile Devices Branch (MDB) developed a variety of tools and techniques to remotely hack and control the world’s most popular smartphones and tablets.

Once hacked, phones can be used to transmit their “geolocation, audio and text communications” directly to the CIA without the user’s knowledge. In addition, the CIA can remotely activate the phone’s microphone and camera.

Apple devices

Despite Apple holding a minority share in the global smartphone market in 2016, the CIA’s Mobile Development Branch has a specific division dedicated to the hacking of Apple devices which run the iOS operating system from smartphones and tablets.

WikiLeaks also alleges that the CIA not only developed but collaborated on or purchased a variety of hacking tools or ‘zero days’ from intelligence agencies and contractors around the world such as GCHQ, NSA, FBI or Baitshop.

Samsung

The EDG has produced a ‘zero day’ capable of hacking Samsung smart TVs, switching it into a fake ‘off mode’ where the device appears to remain on standby while actually recording audio and transmitting it to nearby secured CIA servers.

For context, Samsung was the top-selling television brand in the world for the last decade with a global market share of 21 percent as of 2015. WikiLeaks did not specify in the initial release whether video recordings were also a part of this particular ‘zero day.’

Vehicle control

As far back as 2014, WikiLeaks alleges that the CIA was exploring the possibility of infecting control systems in modern cars and trucks. While the exact goal of such control has yet to be established, WikiLeaks suggests that such hacks could be used for almost undetectable assassinations.




Android devices (Samsung, HTC, Sony)

The majority of the world’s smartphones (approximately 85 percent) run on the Android operating system, with roughly 1.15 billion Android devices sold last year, according to the WikiLeaks statement. Naturally, the CIA devoted an entire subdivision to hacking Android devices, with 24 individual weaponized ‘zero days’ targeting Android devices.

Microsoft

The CIA’s cyber division has developed numerous local and remote ‘zero days’ to hack and control Microsoft Windows users.

These ‘zero days’ include, but are not limited to: air gap jumping viruses such as ‘Hammer Drill’ that are capable of infecting computers or phones that have never been connected to the internet; hacking tools that focus on removable devices such as USB drives; systems for hiding data, be it in covert disk areas or in images; particular ‘zero days’ that are manufactured to self-perpetuate and hide themselves from detection on an ongoing basis.

Before any tech experts gloat, WikiLeaks also alleges that the CIA has developed advanced, multi-platform malware attack and control systems that cover Windows and Mac OS X but also mixed source platforms like Solaris and open source platforms like Linux. Wikileaks names these specific ‘zero days’ as the EDB's ‘HIVE,’ ‘Cutthroat’ and ‘Swindle’ tools.

WikiLeaks publishes 'entire hacking capacity of the CIA'

https://twitter.com/wikileaks

Kaspersky: Banks, Governments, Telcos Hit by Fileless Malware

http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/kaspersky-says-140-banks-governments-hit-by-fileless-malware-a-9678

The issue is too serious and too critical for Russia to wait for its OS to be developed.

They should just remove any US or other provider server and routers from MIC , Space , R&D Institution , Hospitals , Critical Infra and replace with Russian Build Hardware and Software.

IBM , CISCO , Windows , ZTE are just extended Spying Arm of US Government and Chinese

The extent of CIA tools used and methods are mind boggling , I can just imagine how much competent NSA must be

Glenn Greenwald: how the NSA tampers with US-made internet routers

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/12/glenn-greenwald-nsa-tampers-us-internet-routers-snowden

Kaspersky launches its own OS on Russian routers

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/23/kasperskyos/

The western spy agencies have increased their activity, against Russia, everyone one needs to be on guard.

Two points . First about maintaining personal security of bloggers living in West . They like to occupy that very important spot in your head . So you stop thinking about how to sink an American aircraft carrier . So the tricks they use on me are to spread false rumour to my employer that I am terrorist . And make me unemployed . Or to get secret policeman to bring rifle to me , so I put my finger print out it . Or to befriend my wife , in order to cause family rift . Or to stop my wife on road and give details of her shopping to her . Or to hack my phone browsing history , to include porn site . Or to get ex - military protestant Irish terrorist to give me verbal death threat ......All a blogger needs to do is to write what happened to them on the net . And flash their disk at the camera phone , so the MI6 girls get a good look . I hope per chance that if the protestant paramilitary in collusion with MI6 , kill me . That the Iranian will avenge my death . My name ( Adel Khodai . Born 18-08-1961).

Second point is about strength of materials . When a force is applied , to a body . The point of force can be small . The material is never uniform . The weak point may not be under the force . No fracture or crack takes place . But if the force is applied across the entire body . Then the weak point may reveal itself by a cracking . Seen with magnifying glass . The force then is localised at that point to cause fracture . The extent of the material may not be visible . For this special colours can be introduced into the body . Making smaller parts visible by capillary action . The extent of the English empire is largely known . But it's smaller parts and weaknesses are hidden . Like places where other races and people live under their terror and rule .

Austin wrote:The issue is too serious and too critical for Russia to wait for its OS to be developed.

They should just remove any US or other provider server and routers from MIC , Space , R&D Institution , Hospitals , Critical Infra and replace with Russian Build Hardware and Software.

IBM , CISCO , Windows , ZTE are just extended Spying Arm of US Government and Chinese

The extent of CIA tools used and methods are mind boggling , I can just imagine how much competent NSA must be

Glenn Greenwald: how the NSA tampers with US-made internet routers

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/12/glenn-greenwald-nsa-tampers-us-internet-routers-snowden

This is one of the reasons that piss me off ,boils my blood about Putin.
His ignorance on how extremely critical important if for Russia to become fully
technology independent from United states. Sanctions had to happen first by Europe in 2014 on Russia for Putin realize that perhaps he needs to invest on his own computers and software. Putin came in power in 2000 ,and he could have by now had a strong semiconductor industry in Russia ,if he did not wasted so much money in useless olympics ,financing veterans of world war 2 ,some that not even are Russian citizens. and so large useless navy for defending Russia no idea from what , Since NATO can deploy their missiles right there at Russian borders. Americans can tomorrow morning disconnect Russia from the internet for example and it will happen at the second Us and Russia engage in a small direct fight. it can also disconnect Russia banking system too for depending on European swift.

About CIA/NSA capabilities to control technology , many do not understand that many of this so called "Hacks" are nothing more than Backdoors , that is
undocumented "Features" ,developed by that american or some major allies european companies at the request of the American government ,that the hardware in question had from factory when produced since day one.
so that the American government can spy on american citizens or any citizen of the world using American or European technology.

Look at example of the controversy of US bush elections in florida ,where voting machines ,somehow became biased and counted backwards many of the votes for the Bush competition. in the report on youtube called [hacking democracy]. What in reality happened was NOT a hack. But that voting machines memory card disk ,developed by a company which received a lot of money by the US government. had an unexpected ,secret hardware inside the memory disk ,that had nothing to do with the function of the storage device.
and it was a secret cheating device ,installed in the memory disk that can be easily modified by any of the company staff ,to count backwards the votes of any Candidate the Republican party or democrats one ,did not liked. Cable companies also have been boosted included spy cameras inside their cable converter to record and film any family home ,what they were doing.  This have nothing to do with security ,but about having information they could use to control society . For example it could be used to expose a lawmaker cheating on their wife , or get evidence of pedhopilia on children they could use to black mail and control any politicians. So this spying is not for security but for blackmailing and control of society . it can be used for stealing intellectual property too , industrial espionage ,the blue prints of a new monitor ,of technology etc.

So all this problems of Microsoft software ,apple electronics ,or Intel or Amd technology , is not a hack in reality, but a feature integrated secretly in that hardware ,for facilitating any stealing of private information. it could be used for easy money , lets say stealing credit card bank accounts ,that is a few thousands free dollars here or there and blame it on "hackers".
So it should not be surprising Karpersky claims of Fileless malware in computers. Is not a hack but undocumented features ,that American companies of technology integrate in their software and hardware for the benefit of a fascist government who wants to control every opposition to the government and have in check any ally. So many of this undocumented features on American technology can be countered at all with anything. It have been told CIA can enter in any private server ,without the other side even being aware of it ,because it was designed that way. So you could have any antivirus or firewall in the world ,no matter how good it is ,and will never
be able to stop a US agency of spying on it ,because those are undocumented secret features the hardware and software have since it was created.  It will be similar at selling a brand new house to someone , but in the basement of the house ,there is a secret passage ,a secret tunnel ,that people from outside who knows about it ,can enter the house and steal anything totally bypassing all house doors security and without a need to break anything. So the word "hacking " is misleading , the CIA does not bother to hack ,they just enter on any server with Windows software ,normally with the point of a few mouse clicks. They also can bribe software designers ,to develop secret functionality in their software or hardware ,so that the US government can enter at will.it was wikileaks who exposed how the CIA can steal the IP of any nation ,use it to commit fraud anywhere ,and later the trace of the attack will be blamed on the nation who they stole its ip. After all the Internet Servers are all in United States. so they with the flip of switch here or there can shutdown internet on any nation.

So all the problems with internet security is working as intended. . is not a "mistake" ,is not "american incompetence" but working as intended ,is the way it was supposed to work and the way it was designed.that is US computers industry and Internet . The US government simply wants 100% of the technology produce in America, Europe to be very simple and easy to enter . it could be by the CIA to steal intellectual property , that is the blueprints of a commercial product of the compettion. ie. A new monitor or any new technological invention.


This is why Putin have been eating shit ,his entire time as politician and not promoting Russia to become fully independent of the wester technology ,including internet . If Israel that is a tiny state ,can design Intel processors , then i don't see why Russia can't. Russia needs an industrial revolution in IT and semiconductors , fast computers and artificial intelligence. By not pushing Russia into becoming Truly independent nation ,not only in politics or military ,as they are now ,but also in technology too. and instead wasting so much money ,so many billions and billions of dollars in stupid sports or re-enacting Russia glorious soviet past and former victories.

So fileless malware indeed is a nightmare to counter it a reverse engineering of western technology is need to fully counter it ,or create its own alternative.
So Putin is a decade late in banning the use of western software ,or technology in their government and military industries. Russia needs to kick their own ass really hard and start investing in a strong technology industry for Russia.

Officers from the FSB Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation released a video showing the arrest of one of the suspected masterminds behind the deadly St. Petersburg terrorist attack



https://sputniknews.com/russia/201704171052715919-suspected-organizer-st-petersburg-metro-attack-detained/

miketheterrible wrote:  But I think the only method is to allow people to protest, block them off and separate them, and let them just tire themselves out.  Navalny is a crook, why he can keep getting away with it is beyond me.

You can't stop someone from exercising free speech and Russian authority is keeping his brother behind prison only for a purpose.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his former KGB colleagues visited an ex-East Germany station chief to wish their former boss well on his 90th birthday.

RussianDefence.com Retweeted
Lucian Kim‏Verified account @Lucian_Kim 5h5 hours ago

Behind closed doors, FSB chief to brief Duma deputies tomorrow about US meddling in Russian politics, including role of @RFERL, @VOANews.

miketheterrible wrote:Good. While states like Vietnam and Azerbaijan banned RFEL, it still operates in Russia.

RFEL??

AlfaT8 wrote:

miketheterrible wrote:Good. While states like Vietnam and Azerbaijan banned RFEL, it still operates in Russia.

RFEL??

Maybe RFE/RL? Which means Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty