According to journalists, Russian hackers use the Scan system, which helps identify weaknesses in computer systems. Thus, they look for potential targets for worldwide attacks.
Russian intelligence agencies use the services of hackers of the Moscow company Vulkan to wage a cyber war against the West. The Guardian writes about it, citing a data leak from the company.
An unnamed employee of the company, angered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was reportedly responsible for leaking thousands of pages of material. The source described the Russian government as “cowardly and wrong”.
“People should be aware of the danger. In connection with the events in Ukraine, I decided to make this information public. The company is doing bad things, and the Russian government is cowardly and unjust. The occupation of Ukraine makes me angry and the terrible things that happen there,” quotes the source publication.
The publication writes that the anonymous person shared the data with the Munich-based startup Paper Trail Media.
According to journalists, 5 Western intelligence agencies have confirmed that the files about the Vulkan company appear to be genuine.
The leak reportedly includes emails, internal documents, project plans, budgets, and contracts. They give an idea of the Kremlin’s great efforts in cyberspace at the time. It is not known whether the tools created by Vulkan were used for hacking purposes.
The material also states that some of the documents in the leak are something akin to “potential targets.” For example, a map of the United States with some “points” and a detailed diagram of a nuclear power plant in Switzerland.
What is Vulcan
The publication writes that Vulkan is a cybersecurity consulting firm. It is part of the military-industrial complex of Russia. Since 2011, the company has received special state licenses to work with classified military projects.
According to journalists, business processes in the company are regulated by strict operational confidentiality principles, while employees are never told what other departments are working on.
It is reported that the founders of the company are Anton Markov and Alexander Irzhavsky. Both St. Petersburg Military Academy and served in the Russian army in the past.
cyber war with the west
The publication writes that the work of the Vulkan company is connected with the FSB, GRU, SVR and other special services of the Russian Federation. Vulkan then contacted the Sandworm hacker group, which, as stated in the material, caused two power outages in Ukraine, interrupted the Olympic Games in South Korea, and started the NotPetya virus, according to the US intelligence agency. Codenamed Scan-V, this software searches the Internet for vulnerabilities that are stored for later use in future cyber attacks.
According to journalists, hacker groups first break into computer systems by looking for vulnerabilities. Scan-V supports this process by performing automatic discovery of potential targets worldwide looking for vulnerable servers and network devices. The intelligence is then stored in cellars.
Project Scan was reportedly launched in 2018. Ordered from the Institute of Engineering Physics associated with the GRU.
“The scan was designed strictly for offensive purposes. It fits comfortably with the GRU’s organizational structure and strategic approach,” an unnamed analyst told reporters.
Recall that on March 28, the state media in Slovakia reported on the attack of Russian hackers. The hacker group RU Anonymous from Russia reported on Telegram about a cyberattack on Slovak sites, including sources from the National Council of Slovakia, the National Bank, the Ministry of Defense, banks JT Bank and Exim Bank.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.