The UK, along with international partners, has publicly exposed a campaign of malicious cyber activity by Russian Intelligence Services aimed at interfering in UK politics and democratic processes. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, has identified the group responsible as Star Blizzard, which is almost certainly subordinate to Centre 18 of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The group’s activities have included targeting UK parliamentarians, compromising UK-US trade documents before the 2019 General Election, and hacking the Institute for Statecraft and its founder Christopher Donnelly.Star Blizzard’s operations have involved spear-phishing attacks on various entities, including universities, journalists, public sector organizations, NGOs, and other civil society organizations crucial to UK democracy. The group has selectively leaked information obtained through its operations, aligning with Russian confrontation goals to undermine trust in politics in the UK and like-minded states.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron described these attempts to interfere in UK politics as “completely unacceptable,” posing a threat to democratic processes. In response, the NCSC and partners from the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have issued a new cybersecurity advisory, sharing technical details about the attacks and defense strategies.
The NCSC has also published refreshed guidance for high-risk individuals to improve their resilience against cyber threats. This includes recommendations for securing devices and online accounts, such as setting up two-step verification, creating strong passwords, and installing updates promptly.
The malicious activity is part of a broader pattern of cyber operations conducted by Russian Intelligence Services globally. The UK and allies have previously exposed Russian Intelligence for their role in compromises affecting ViaSat, SolarWinds, and targeting critical national infrastructure. The NCSC, along with international partners, has also exposed a sophisticated cyberespionage tool used by Centre 16 of Russia’s FSB for long-term intelligence collection on sensitive targets.
The advisory, jointly issued by cybersecurity agencies from multiple countries, provides the latest threat information and mitigation advice to help reduce the chances of compromise.
Source: NCSC
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