Dutch intelligence agencies say Russian hackers stole police data in cyberattack
The agencies said in a report that the group, which they called Laundry Bear, is actively trying to steal sensitive data from European Union and NATO countries and is 'extremely likely Russian state supported.'
'Laundry Bear is after information about the purchase and production of military equipment by Western governments and Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine,' Vice Adm. Peter Reesink, director of the military intelligence agency MIVD, said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the report.
The Netherlands has been a strong supporter of Ukraine's war effort since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has given military equipment, including F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.
The Russian hackers broke into a police account and accessed work-related contact details of all Dutch police officers in September last year, in a cyberattack that sent shockwaves through the force.
The Dutch intelligence agencies published a detailed analysis of methods used by the hacker group to break into computer networks and cloud services.
Erik Akerboom, chief of the domestic intelligence agency AIVD, said that outlining the group's work means that 'not only governments, but also manufacturers, suppliers and other targets can arm themselves against this form of espionage. This limits Laundry Bear's chances of success and digital networks can be better protected.'
The attack discovered in the Netherlands is one of a growing number around the world.
Last week, the U.S. National Security Agency said that hackers working for Russian military intelligence targeted Western technology and logistics companies involved in shipping assistance to Ukraine.
And last month, the French government accused a hacking group linked to Russian military intelligence of cyberattacks over three years, targeting the Paris Olympics, French government agencies and companies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Olympic medallists facing ban after being charged with CHEATING in bizarre controversy
Two Olympic ski jumping medallists are facing a potential ban after being charged with cheating in a controversial case that could affect their participation at next year's Milan Cortina Games. Olympic champion Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, bronze medallist at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, had their ski suits tampered with and were caught during the World Championships in Norway in March. An investigation by the International Ski Federation, the sport's worldwide governing body, alleges the Norwegian athletes' teams had broken the rules by reinforcing the thread in their jumpsuits in an attempt to create more lift in the air. Lindvik and Forfang had been disqualified from the men's large hill competition following an equipment inspection at the World Ski Championships in Trondheim. Jan-Erik Aalbu, the Norwegian ski federation's general manager, admitted they had 'tried to cheat the system' in a scandal which sent shockwaves through the country, which prides itself on its success in winter sports. Head coach Magnus Brevik, assistant coach Thomas Lobben and service staff member Adrian Livelten have also been charged. The two athletes' ski suits had allegedly been tampered with in a scandal that has sent shockwaves through sport in Norway Lindvik and Forfang were both provisionally suspended pending the investigation, which has now concluded. Their exact punishments are not yet known but the charges come with less than six months until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Aalbu now claims the two athletes were unaware of the tampering. 'We have listened to our athletes and believe them when they say they did not know about the manipulation of the ski suits,' Aalbu said.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Yves Bissouma dropped by Thomas Frank for disciplinary reasons in first test of Spurs manager
Yves Bissouma has been dropped from Tottenham Hotspur's squad for the Uefa Super Cup because of disciplinary reasons. The midfielder has remained in London and not travelled as part of the 22-strong squad that will face Paris St-Germain in the prestigious curtain raiser between the Champions League and Europa League winners. The issue is the first big test for Tottenham's new head coach Thomas Frank who revealed he has punished the 28-year-old because he has been persistently late. 'He has been late several times and now this time, it was one too many,' Frank said. 'With everything, you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and have consequences. And this was the consequence of that.' Asked what will now happen – and Frank has to weigh up whether to fine Bissouma up to two weeks wages – Frank said: 'For me, there's been a consequence for this trip and I will follow up when I go home on that. I have parked it for now because there is an important game tomorrow.' Spurs will fly back to London on Thursday to prepare for their opening Premier League fixture against Burnley at home on Saturday. Frank will have to decide whether to include Bissouma for that fixture. Spurs have been training at their base in Enfield for the past two days before flying to Italy. It is not the first time that the Mali international, who was signed from Brighton and Hove Albion for £30m in 2022, has been in disciplinary trouble. He faced suspension last season after footage appeared to show him inhaling laughing gas last August. He again missed the opening league game of the season, against Leicester City. Bissouma apologised for 'a severe of judgement'. Possession of nitrous oxide – also known as NOS – for recreational use has been a criminal offence in the United Kingdom since 2023 and can result in a two-year prison sentence. At the time the then Spurs head coach Ange Postecolgou said he hoped the incident and punishment 'allows him [Bissouma] to make better decisions moving forward'.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Cheap drones are devastating Putin's troops, but Britain shouldn't ditch hi-tech kit yet
If we look elsewhere for examples, the recent war between Israel and Iran saw the former inflict devastating damage on the latter predominantly through modern combat aircraft and a variety of precision weapons, complemented by smaller drones. And the air defence of Israel against ballistic missiles necessitated the use of an expensive but effective layered system of missiles. European militaries actually have some significant advantages over Russia in their supposedly 'legacy' systems, especially in combat aircraft and precision strike munitions. The problem is that they don't have enough, unless they pool those capabilities, and in many cases they have so far failed to effectively equip them with ammunition and spare part stockpiles. Solving the personnel retention problem in European militaries is as important as experimenting with new technology. Building up industrial bases to be ready to meet expanded demand in time of war will be necessary to help Western militaries adapt to the shock of industrial war. It is in this last area that the biggest challenge of the 'high-low mix' may come, as the most complex systems will take time to replace, and in the short-term Europe will have to make do and mend with capabilities brought in through a process known as 'dissimilar rearmament'. This involves adopting stop-gap capabilities and managing with what can be acquired quickly while the broader industrial base shifts gear.
