The FBI, working with other countries, disrupted a Russian hacking operation that infiltrated more than 1,000 home and small business Internet routers in the United States and around the world, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Russian intelligence, in collaboration with cybercriminals, created a botnet, or a network of private computers infected with malicious software, to spy on military and security organizations and private corporations in countries such as the United States.
Using a court order, the FBI secretly copied and deleted stolen data and malware from hacked routers. Doing this stopped Russia's ability to use the routers without affecting their operation. officials said.
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray shared details of the operation at an annual security conference in Munich.
The disruption is part of a broader effort to hinder Russia's cyber campaigns against the United States and its allies, including Ukraine. Details of the operation come a day after the Biden administration said it had informed Congress and its European allies that Russia is seeking to create a space nuclear weapon to attack the US satellite network.
For weeks, the White House and its advocates in Congress have been trying to persuade House Republicans to continue funding Ukraine's military operations in its fight against Russia because doing so is critical to American national security.
In Munich, Wray said Russia continued to attack critical infrastructure, such as undersea cables and industrial control systems, around the world.
“For example, since its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we have seen Russia conducting reconnaissance in the American energy sector,” Wray said. “And that's a particularly worrying trend because we know that once access is established, a hacker can go from information gathering to attack quickly and without warning.”
Wray warned that China's capabilities in cyber warfare have also continued to improve.
“The cyber threat posed by the Chinese government is enormous,” Wray said. “China's hacking program is larger than that of any other major nation combined.”
Last month, the FBI announced it disrupted a similar campaign by China targeting critical infrastructure, often infiltrating small businesses, contractors or local government networks. In recent months, the FBI and the Department of Justice have warned of an increase in malicious activity against the United States from China, Iran and Russia.
