Cybersecurity firm finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Dec 22, 2016, 11:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

Cybersecurity firm finds evidence that Russian military unit was behind DNC hack

By Ellen Nakashima

@nakashimae
https://twitter.com/nakashimae

December 22 at 12:00 AM

A cybersecurity firm has uncovered strong proof of the tie between the group that hacked the Democratic National Committee and Russias military intelligence arm the primary agency behind the Kremlins interference in the 2016 election.

The firm CrowdStrike linked malware used in the DNC intrusion to malware used to hack and track an Android phone app used by the Ukrainian army in its battle against pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine from late 2014 through 2016.

While CrowdStrike, which was hired by the DNC to investigate the intrusions and whose findings are described in a new report, had always suspected that one of the two hacker groups that struck the DNC was the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency, it had only medium confidence.

Now, said CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch, we have high confidence it was a unit of the GRU. CrowdStrike had dubbed that unit Fancy Bear. ... The FBI, which has been investigating Russias hacks of political, government, academic and other organizations for several years, privately has concluded the same. But the bureau has not publicly drawn the link to the GRU.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cybersecurity-firm-finds-a-link-between-dnc-hack-and-ukrainian-artillery/2016/12/21/47bf1f5a-c7e3-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html

---

The article in TWSJ. is probably pay per view. If you access it via Google News, you can go around the paywall.

People who are upset that I rely on TWSJ. as a source of news can wait a day or two for Huffington Post and Democracy Now to repackage the article and present it on their own websites.

I switched to the WaPo for the main article because it was released 47 minutes before TWSJ. article. Also, the new software is making it difficult to show what material is quoted and what is not.

BEGIN QUOTED MATERIAL

Cyber Experts Cite Link Between DNC Hacks and Aggression Against Ukraine

http://www.wsj.com/articles/cyber-experts-cite-link-between-dnc-hacks-and-aggression-against-ukraine-1482385672

Report adds evidence to allegations that the hackers were working for the Russian government

By Shane Harris

Dec. 22, 2016 12:47 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON - Malicious software used in a hack against the Democratic National Committee is similar to that used against the Ukrainian military, a computer-security firm has determined, adding evidence to allegations that the hackers who infiltrated the DNC were working for the Russian government.

The malware used in the DNC intrusion was a variant of one designed to help locate the position of Ukrainian artillery units over the past two years, the security company, CrowdStrike, said in a report released Thursday.* The artillery units were deployed to defend Ukraine following Russias invasion of Crimea in 2014.

CrowdStrike concluded that the malware used against the Ukrainian military was designed by a hacker group known to security experts as Fancy Bear. The American security firm said the group works for the Russian military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and was one of two Russian hacker outfits that stole emails from the DNC earlier this year.

All U.S. intelligence agencies have attributed the hacks against the Democratic committee to hackers working at the direction of senior Russian government officials. CrowdStrike said it has concluded that Fancy Bear and another Russian group, which security experts call Cozy Bear, carried out the intrusion. ... President-elect Donald Trump has discounted evidence of Russias involvement, saying some other country or individual could have been behind the hacks.

* https://www.crowdstrike.com/wp-content/brochures/FancyBearTracksUkrainianArtillery.pdf

END QUOTED MATERIAL

Get ready for the bald-faced lying non-denial from Kellyanne Conway and furious tweetstorm from Mr. Putin's Red Pet in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ....

[Ford_Prefect]

1. But none of this helped the Orange haired Orangutan trump the constitution, right?

Gotta check with Reince and Newt to be certain.

[Kolesar]

2. Russia hacked into Ukraine artillery units, report claims

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/report-russia-hack-ukraine-1.3908398

A hacking group linked to the Russian government and high-profile cyberattacks against Democrats during the U.S. presidential election likely used a malware implant on Android devices to track and target Ukrainian artillery units from late 2014 through 2016, according to a new report released Thursday.

The malware was able to retrieve communications and some locational data from infected devices, intelligence that would have likely been used to strike against the artillery in support of pro-Russian separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine, the report from cyber security firm CrowdStrike found.

The findings are the latest to support a growing view among Western security officials and cybersecurity researchers that Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly relied on hacking to exert influence and attack geopolitical foes.
...

[triron]

23. hmmm

And cellular connectivity found as plausible on voting machines as well.

[treestar]

3. Can we get good at this?

We need to hack them.

[oasis]

4. Lightning gotta strike certain DU posters before they believe the experts

on this although more and more evidence keeps pouring in.

[sarcasmo]

18. +1

[KittyWampus]

20. Heaven only knows what it will take Greenwald to accept it.

[Sunlei]

5. apps, so easy to hack and use the cell phone builtin GPS to target all those specific gun locations.

[turbinetree]

6. This an ACT of WAR

and we need to treat this action like that.

The Russia is treating this country like they are at war with us, and they have been for a very long long time

[KPN]

13. Fat chance of that unless it happens in the next 28 days.

Keep in mind that it's not necessarily paranoid to suspect that Trump may have already been recruited by Russia years ago for his current role.

[turbinetree]

17. I agree with you-------------100%

I feel like I watching the movie the Manchurian Candidate in a lot of ways.

[Calista241]

21. I work for a web security firm

and if people don't think we own every single significant computer network over there, people are more naive than i expected.

And it's not like this hacking campaign wasn't foreseeable or something new. Email accounts being compromised is not an uncommon action, even for regular citizens like you and me. Password security is by and large a GIANT joke. Defense against this stuff is relatively easy and routine in most companies; and for political parties, it should be standard operating procedure. TBH, it's the DNC's own fault that they fell for such an elementary and easily defeat-able hacking attempt.

[Mc Mike]

7. Thanks for the info, mahatma.

I called this, a long time ago, 10/31. I'm more of a hack, can't be termed a hacker, but I saw that "Russia in Ukraine Military sig intel" angle.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8264017

[DetlefK]

8. But... but... Hillary! Emails! Benghazi!

[IronLionZion]

9. And to think we almost elected someone who used a private email server

and gave a speech at Goldman Sachs!

[KPN]

14. Lol! Too much ain't it?!

We are living in silly times. Time to thin the herd as my young adult kids say.

[world wide wally]

10. To turn our country over to Russian agents like this is even crazier than Trump himself

[2naSalit]

11. And it appears that all our

leaders and legislators are just rolling over on their backs to allow the raping to begin.

[berksdem]

16. this!

I am more appalled that the GOP seems to think this is normal. But then again....

[Achilleaze]

12. The anti-American Russkie-Republicans have shamed themselves

Why do they hate America?

[KPN]

15. Good question! Not to mention ...

a legitimate one.

We need to keep repeating that question to them daily over the next 4 years (even though we know the answer).

[Bradical79]

19. This was part of the reason I was overconfident

Leading up to the election, I really thought the blatant support of Trump by Russian fascists and direct attempts at interference would supress turnout for Trump. I overestimated the reasoning ability of certain people, I guess. I also had a hard time imagining a media that put greater importance on some emails than a presidential candidate getting direct support from a hostile foreign power.

[triron]

24. Bewildered as well.

wtf is going on???

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Hostile

An espionage attack by a foreign military force

Great. Now Donnie is going to settle the conflict by making peace
with them and inviting them to cooperate.

This gets worse every week

[triron]

25. knr

[JHan]

26. Putin avoided answering directly a question put to him about Pres.Obama telling him to "cut it out"

He deflected into a critique of the Democratic Party.

Why would President Obama confront him if there wasn't sound evidence, that would have been a huge diplomatic risk if the WH didn't have strong reasons to believe Russia interfered.

[Lucinda]

27. KNR Thank you!