The European Union Friday accused Russia of targeting the bloc with cyberattacks, and threatened to take further action against Moscow. In a statement released on behalf of EU members, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the cyberattacks.
The statement by the European executive, comprised of the bloc’s heads of state, said the EU was considering “taking further steps,” but did not elaborate what actions it would take. Borrell pointed out that these malicious cyber activities are “associated with the Russian state” and called them unacceptable since they target European security and “attempt to undermine our democratic institutions and processes, including by enabling disinformation and information manipulation. We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to the norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace,” he pointed out. Borrell said the attacks have targeted several members of parliament, government officials, politicians, media workers and civil society. He did not name the countries concerned. The European Union warned Russia against allowing hackers to attack data bases or spread disinformation in some of the 27 member countries just as Germans were preparing to go the polls for weekend parliamentary elections.
Earlier this month, Germany protested to Russia over attempts to steal data from lawmakers in what it suspected may have been preparation to spread disinformation before the vote. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin said that the hacker outfit called Ghostwriter had been “combining conventional cyberattacks with disinformation and influence operations,” and that activities targeting Germany have been observed “for some time.” They include the use of phishing emails, among other things, to get hold of the personal login details of federal and state lawmakers, with the aim of identity theft.
