Us charges russian spies over yahoo hack
On March 15, 2017, the United States Department of Justice announced that it had charged four Russian nationals with hacking into Yahoo's email system and stealing sensitive information from over 500 million user accounts.
The indictment, which was unsealed in a federal court in San Jose, California, accused the four defendants of being members of a Russian intelligence agency known as the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). The defendants were identified as:
- Dmitry Dokuchaev, a former officer of the GRU
- Igor Sushchin, a former officer of the GRU
- Alexsey Belan, a Russian national who was also known as "Magg" or "Maggot"
- Karim Baratov, a Canadian national of Kazakhstani descent who was also known as "Kay"
The indictment alleged that the defendants hacked into Yahoo's systems in 2014 and stole sensitive information, including user names, passwords, and security questions. The hackers also installed malware on Yahoo's systems, which allowed them to access and steal data from Yahoo's email accounts.
The indictment also accused the defendants of using the stolen information to gain access to other online accounts, including those of government officials, business leaders, and journalists.
The charges against the defendants included conspiracy, computer fraud, and wire fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
The indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, in collaboration with the Canadian authorities.
The Yahoo hack was one of the largest and most significant data breaches in history, and it was widely reported in the media. The breach was attributed to a group of hackers known as "Fancy Bear," which was believed to be linked to the Russian government.
The indictment was seen as a significant escalation of the U.S. government's efforts to hold Russia accountable for its alleged cyber attacks. It was also seen as a major blow to the Russian intelligence agency, which was accused of using its hacking capabilities to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In response to the indictment, the Russian government denied any involvement in the hack and accused the U.S. government of trying to "demonize" Russia. However, the U.S. government maintained that the evidence it had gathered showed that the hack was carried out by Russian intelligence agents.
The case against the defendants is ongoing, and it is expected to be a major test of the U.S. government's ability to hold foreign hackers accountable for their actions.