On October 21, an international news agency, Bloomberg, reported that Russia had hacked almost all of Georgian government agencies and major companies between 2017 and 2020.
According to Bloomberg, among those hacked were Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry, National Bank, and major energy and telecommunications providers, including the pro-government Imedi TV and Maestro. Among the hacked entities, Bloomberg also mentions the Central Election Commission. Most of the agencies and companies mentioned in the Bloomberg news article declined to comment.
“Claims of Russian hacking in an attempt to influence electoral outcomes hit the mainstream after the country was accused of meddling in the U.S. election in 2016,” the Bloomberg report notes, adding, “The spying campaign that ran for years before the 2020 elections allowed Russia to eavesdrop on a nation it wants to control.”
Based on documents seen by Bloomberg and some European politicians, the report says the spying also gave Moscow the ability to tamper with Georgia’s key infrastructure, including power and communications networks, should it have chosen to do so if Tbilisi drifted in unwanted directions.
According to the publication, the Russian intelligence agency looked for vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, such as in the network of the Batumi Oil Terminal, according to one document. By October 2019, several systems, including smart cameras, had been compromised, Bloomberg writes.
Bloomberg notes that Russia’s Chief Intelligence Office (GRU) also hacked Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), “likely gaining access to some email accounts.” The CEC has not responded to Bloomberg.
One of the documents seen by Bloomberg also showed that hackers linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), carried out a months-long covert operation at Georgia’s Foreign Ministry “to spy on top officials’ emails and scoop up data held by Georgian embassies around the world.” According to Bloomberg: “From April 2020 to January 2021, according to a report of network logs, the hackers focused on pilfering data from seven Georgian officials, including a current deputy foreign minister and its ambassadors to the US and the EU.” The Ministry’s spokesperson told Bloomberg that the MFA cannot assess the situation until relevant expert evaluations.
According to some European government officials, whom Bloomberg does not identify, “Georgian authorities were informed by Western counterparts about some Russian hacking. But it’s unclear if they took any action.”
Also Read:
- 26/01/2024 – Websites of President, Mtavari TV, Formula TV, and SovLab Allegedly Hit by Cyberattacks
- 04/09/2020 – Georgian Politicians Reckon Russia behind Cyberattack on Health Ministry, Lugar Center
- 20/02/2020 – Georgia Accuses Russia’s GRU of October Cyberattack
- 20/02/2020 – UK, U.S. Condemn Russia over Georgia Cyberattack