The Dutch government revealed that its military intelligence service had disrupted an attempt by four officers of Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, to hack the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague. The disclosure was made jointly with the UK government.
What happened
- The officers were caught in April 2018 in a car parked near the OPCW with equipment for hacking Wi-Fi networks, and were expelled from the Netherlands.
- The OPCW was then investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack in the UK.
- On the same day, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre attributed a series of cyber attacks to the GRU.
- The US Department of Justice charged seven GRU officers, including the four identified by the Dutch.
Why it mattered
The unusually detailed public disclosure, with names and photographs, marked a new approach by Western governments to exposing state hacking. The EU later imposed sanctions on the officers involved.
Lessons for organisations
Close-access attacks mean Wi-Fi security matters as much as internet-facing defences. Organisations should use strong Wi-Fi authentication, monitor for rogue devices, and treat physical security as part of cyber security.
Source: CNN
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