FBI Find Hackers Responsible for 2014 Yahoo Breach
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 03/15/2017 09:08 AM
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Those behind the breach of Yahoo in 2014 may have been uncovered.
Authorities have indicted four men, including two Russian intelligence agents, who are suspected of carrying out the data theft.
They are also suspected of using cookie-forging to obtain access to user accounts on the Yahoo network in 2015 and 2016. The 2014 breach exposed the data of 500 million users. A larger breach occurred a few months later, but the two breaches have not been connected.
The Justice Department is charging the two Russian intelligence agents, members of Russia's Federal Security Service, as well as two hackers hired by the Russians with 47 criminal charges, including conspiracy, computer fraud, economic espionage, theft of trade secrets and aggravated identity theft.
"The defendants used unauthorized access to Yahoo's systems to steal information from about at least 500 million Yahoo accounts and then used some of that stolen information to obtain unauthorized access to the contents of accounts at Yahoo, Google and other webmail providers, including accounts of Russian journalists, U.S. and Russian government officials and private-sector employees of financial, transportation and other companies," the DoJ stated.
Named by the indictment are Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, a Russian national and resident; Igor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43, a Russian national and resident; Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan, aka “Magg,” 29, a Russian national and resident; and Karim Baratov, aka “Kay,” “Karim Taloverov” and “Karim Akehmet Tokbergenov,” 22, a Canadian and Kazakh national and a resident of Canada.
“The criminal conduct at issue, carried out and otherwise facilitated by officers from an FSB unit that serves as the FBI's point of contact in Moscow on cybercrime matters, is beyond the pale,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord. “Once again, the Department and the FBI have demonstrated that hackers around the world can and will be exposed and held accountable. State actors may be using common criminals to access the data they want, but the indictment shows that our companies do not have to stand alone against this threat."
Chris Madsen, assistant general counsel, said: "The indictment unequivocally shows the attacks on Yahoo were state-sponsored. We are deeply grateful to the FBI for investigating these crimes and the DoJ for bringing charges against those responsible."
The indictment validates Yahoo's claim in September 2016 that state-sponsored actors were behind the hack of Yahoo.
Source: SCMagazine
Authorities have indicted four men, including two Russian intelligence agents, who are suspected of carrying out the data theft.They are also suspected of using cookie-forging to obtain access to user accounts on the Yahoo network in 2015 and 2016. The 2014 breach exposed the data of 500 million users. A larger breach occurred a few months later, but the two breaches have not been connected.
The Justice Department is charging the two Russian intelligence agents, members of Russia's Federal Security Service, as well as two hackers hired by the Russians with 47 criminal charges, including conspiracy, computer fraud, economic espionage, theft of trade secrets and aggravated identity theft.
"The defendants used unauthorized access to Yahoo's systems to steal information from about at least 500 million Yahoo accounts and then used some of that stolen information to obtain unauthorized access to the contents of accounts at Yahoo, Google and other webmail providers, including accounts of Russian journalists, U.S. and Russian government officials and private-sector employees of financial, transportation and other companies," the DoJ stated.
Named by the indictment are Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, a Russian national and resident; Igor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43, a Russian national and resident; Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan, aka “Magg,” 29, a Russian national and resident; and Karim Baratov, aka “Kay,” “Karim Taloverov” and “Karim Akehmet Tokbergenov,” 22, a Canadian and Kazakh national and a resident of Canada.
“The criminal conduct at issue, carried out and otherwise facilitated by officers from an FSB unit that serves as the FBI's point of contact in Moscow on cybercrime matters, is beyond the pale,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord. “Once again, the Department and the FBI have demonstrated that hackers around the world can and will be exposed and held accountable. State actors may be using common criminals to access the data they want, but the indictment shows that our companies do not have to stand alone against this threat."
Chris Madsen, assistant general counsel, said: "The indictment unequivocally shows the attacks on Yahoo were state-sponsored. We are deeply grateful to the FBI for investigating these crimes and the DoJ for bringing charges against those responsible."
The indictment validates Yahoo's claim in September 2016 that state-sponsored actors were behind the hack of Yahoo.
Source: SCMagazine
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