Russian Hackers Targeted Emails of American Nuclear Scientists and Defense Contractors

Over the past year, a group of Russian hackers has been conducting a cyberespionage campaign targeting American nuclear scientists, defense contractors, and government officials.

This is stated in a joint advisory from U.S. intelligence agencies and more than a dozen allied countries, as well as in a report by the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, according to CNN.

According to researchers, the attackers targeted email servers at U.S. nuclear infrastructure facilities and companies in the military-industrial complex. The main goal of the cyberattacks is to gather intelligence for the war against Ukraine and to study cutting-edge American technologies.

To carry out the attacks, the hackers exploited a rare software vulnerability that does not require the victim to click on any links—simply opening the email is enough. This allowed them to steal three months’ worth of email correspondence and the organization’s complete address directory.

The intelligence investigation emphasizes that Russian intelligence services are increasingly using Ukraine as a testing ground for new espionage methods before deploying them against NATO countries.

Western law enforcement agencies are already taking countermeasures: in November, one of the alleged members of the group was detained in Thailand and subsequently extradited to the U.S. to stand trial.

The FBI confirms that, following a relative lull at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, activity by Russian cyber units targeting U.S. entities has increased significantly over the past year.