 The Global Cyber Threat Environment, Module 6, Russian Cyber Intelligence, Objectives. Once you have completed the readings, lecture, activity, and assessment, you will be able to describe the roles of the Russian intelligence agencies known as the FSB and GRU. To articulate which Russian intelligence agency is responsible for conducting the majority of Russia's information operations. Welcome to the Global Cyber Threat Environment, Module 6. This module focuses on Russian Cyber Intelligence. In the last lecture, we discussed how East Germany, a puppet of the Soviet Union at the time, hacked into computer systems of a West Germany IBM subsidiary half a century ago. Two decades later, the Soviets stole sensitive information from U.S. government and academic networks in the Cuckoo's Egg operation. Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian intelligence agencies remained active in computer espionage, illustrated by the 1990s Moonlight Mays operation. Today, Russia appears to be expanding cyber intrusions into various U.S. systems. In March 2018, a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Russian hackers of infiltrating numerous U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including those supporting energy, nuclear, water, aviation, and manufacturing. Although the extent of these intrusions is not known publicly, many experts believe that Russia may have the capacity to shut down U.S. power systems should the two countries become engaged in hostilities. In addition to technical intrusions, Russia has conducted psychological operations against the U.S. public. Consider the Russian interference during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. A U.S. intelligence community report noted that the purpose of Russian interference was to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency, among other things. Russia deliberately attacked the very fabric of American society in hopes of sowing chaos and ultimately weakening the geopolitical power of the United States. What Russian intelligence entities are responsible for running these operations? A multitude of Russian governmental agencies with cyber responsibilities exists, including the Federal Security Service, Russian Military Intelligence Directorate, Federal Protection Service, and Foreign Intelligence Service. The two organizations that appear to have the most responsibility and capability for external cyber operations are the Federal Security Service and the Russian Military Intelligence Directorate. The Federal Protection Service, or FSB, is believed to coordinate most of Russia's disinformation and cyber propaganda operations, as well as digital surveillance of Russian citizens within the country. This organization was called the KGB when the Soviet Union existed. The agency is believed to employ roughly 270,000 personnel. The FSB is organized into a variety of directorates, with missions as diverse as counterterrorism, domestic surveillance, protection of state secrets, and specific elements of information warfare, including computer network exploitation, attack, and defense. Additionally, in late 2017, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree giving the FSB responsibility for protecting Russia's critical infrastructure against potential cyber attacks. The FSB is also believed to have played a major role in the 2016 hacking of the U.S. Democratic National Committee. According to the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, the FSB operation, as part of the cozy bear advanced persistent threat, was able to observe nearly a year's worth of email and text messages made by DNC officials, information that was later released to officials of the Trump presidential campaign. The Russian Military Intelligence Directorate, or GRU, is also a significant player in Russian cyber intelligence space. In fact, CrowdStrike has assessed that the GRU was behind the fancy bear advanced persistent threat, which also obtained damaging information on Democratic candidates during the 2016 presidential election. It has been reported that the GRU's actions during that campaign were so noisy and blatant that it caused attention to the FSB's actions, which generally operates with much more sophistication and secrecy. Although the GRU is not exactly the A team with respect to Russia's intelligence agencies, the century old organization has a long history. The GRU is estimated to employ approximately 26,000 staff members, divided among 24 individual brigades. Traditionally, the organization gathers information on military, military political, military economic, and ecological issues. The GRU also has the ability to conduct signals intelligence, imagery reconnaissance, and source intelligence, and other military specific intelligence missions. After Russia's 2008 conflict with Georgia, GRU forces were highly criticized for their inability to effectively execute information operations, and a series of reforms was announced to improve its cyber capabilities. The FSB, which considers the GRU an organizational rival, did not appreciate those proposed improvements, and the reforms were never fully implemented. However, in 2013, the Russian government announced an initiative to create military cyber units with the capability of conducting offensive and defensive cyber operations. So it is believed that the Russian military is having difficulty recruiting qualified soldiers for these jobs. Within Russia, the interference in the 2016 US presidential election has been considered an unminigated success. Russia believes that such forms of information operations are both effective and inexpensive to execute. The country will likely invest heavily in intelligence organizations to execute similar future operations. Quiz, question one, true or false? The FSB and GRU are both military intelligence agencies whose missions are primarily focused on supporting Russian ground forces. A, true, B, false? The answer is B, false. Quiz, question two, true or false? The FSB was known to have played a significant role in obtaining information from a Democratic National Committee prior to the 2016 US presidential election. A, true, B, false? The answer is A, true. Activity, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the KGB was essentially rebranded as the FSB, Russia's preeminent intelligence agency. Using a search engine like Google or Yahoo, take an hour or more to research KGB operations against the United States during the Cold War. Which KGB operations against the United States are considered its most successful? Did you discover any KGB operations to influence the national elections of other countries during the Cold War?