US expands charges against Russians in ‘WhisperGate’ scheme targeting Ukrainian and NATO systems

The U.S. Department of Justice has expanded its charges against Russian individuals allegedly involved in the ‘WhisperGate’ malware attack. This cyber intrusion targeted computer systems in Ukraine and 26 NATO nations, including the United States. The newly announced indictment implicates five Russian military intelligence officers in a scheme to destabilize Ukraine before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

An official stated that the ‘WhisperGate’ attack in January 2022 could be viewed as Russia’s initial move in the conflict. The cyber assaults infiltrated U.S. companies and impacted various sectors in Ukraine such as the judiciary, emergency services, food safety, and education, unrelated to defense matters. Personal data of Ukrainian civilians, including health records, was stolen, leaked, and even offered for sale online to further demoralize the population.

The indictment also mentioned that the attacks were not limited to Ukraine but extended globally. The perpetrators even employed the infrastructure of a U.S.-based company unknowingly to facilitate the WhisperGate operations. Targets of the cyberattacks included computer systems of 26 NATO allies, stressing the widespread impact of the malicious activities.

The federal grand jury in Baltimore charged five military intelligence officers – Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Yury Denisov, Dmitry Goloshubov, Nikolai Korchagin, and a Russian civilian, Amin Timovich Stigal. They are accused of collaborating to gain unauthorized access to computers linked to Ukraine and its allied governments. The U.S. government has collectively put forward a $60 million reward for information leading to the apprehension of the suspects or to prevent further cyber crimes.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office, William J. DelBagno, emphasized that such cyber warfare actions will not be condoned. The significant scale of Russia’s offenses needs to be addressed firmly, signaling a stance against such malicious cyber activities.