A hacking group linked to the Kremlin has targeted the Center for Strategic and International Studies and several other Washington think tanks that conduct research into Russia’s policy initiatives, Defense One reported Monday.
Patrick Tucker writes that Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chief technology officer of security firm CrowdStrike, told Defense One the company found that APT29 carried out a “highly targeted operation” against fewer than five local organizations with Russia-focused research programs.
The report said H. Andrew Schwartz, senior vice president for external relations at CSIS, confirmed in an email that the center experienced a cyber attack last week.
Cybersecurity researchers also previously traced breaches on the Democratic National Committee, White House, State Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff to APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, Tucker reports.
FireEye uncovered the APT29 two years ago and said the state-sponsored group works by bypassing network defenses as well as wiping out forensic evidence, according to the publication.