BALTIMORE, Md. — They may look more like college students hanging out at a corner bar, but federal authorities say the men launched a cyber attack exposing the private information of Ukrainian citizens before the first Russian tank crossed their border.
“The WhisperGate malware attack in January of 2022 could be considered the first shot of the war,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno. “The cybercriminals sent a message with their malware telling Ukrainians to—quote, ’Be afraid and expect the worst.’”
The five Russian military intelligence officers and one Russian national allegedly used malware to destroy computer systems tied to 26 NATO member countries as well and tried dozens of times to hack those of an unnamed U.S. government agency based in Maryland.
“Reward for Justice is a State Department program that now maintains a $10 million award related to each of these individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron.
The feds say these were by no means cybercriminal masterminds, so we asked them, ‘Even if they’re caught, what’s to keep Russia from simply replacing them?’
“They are marked people now,” said National Security Special Agent in Charge Matthew Olson. “We know who they are. There’s a reward on their head, and we’re going to pursue them relentlessly.”
Authorities say they will also present evidence through the indictment that exposes their techniques and helps other countries and the private sector better protect themselves.
