Russian Cyber ​​Hackers Charged in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Md. — They might look like college students hanging out at a street corner bar, but federal authorities say men carried out a cyberattack that exposed the private information of Ukrainian citizens even before the first Russian tank crossed the border.

“The WhisperGate malware attack in January 2022 could be considered the first shot in the war,” said William DelBagno, special agent in charge of the FBI in Baltimore. “The cybercriminals sent a message through their malware telling Ukrainians to — and I quote, ‘Be afraid and expect the worst.’”

WMAR

Five Russian military intelligence officers and one Russian citizen allegedly used malware to destroy computer systems linked to 26 NATO member states and also attempted to hack into the systems of an unnamed U.S. government agency based in Maryland dozens of times.

“The Reward for Justice is a program of the Department of State that currently pays a $10 million reward to each of these individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron.

Federal authorities say they were by no means cyber masterminds, so we asked them: “Even if they are caught, what’s to stop Russia from replacing them with others?”

“These are now marked men,” said Matthew Olson, a special agent in charge of the National Security Agency. “We know who they are. They have a bounty on their heads, and we will pursue them relentlessly.”

Authorities say they will also present evidence in the indictment that exposes their techniques and helps other countries and the private sector better protect themselves.