Fallout In Russia : One Suspicious Death & Three Cyber Spies Arrested

In the eerie world of international espionage, nothing of late has topped the official US accusation that Russian president Vladimir Putin plotted to put US president Donald Trump in power.

Now, the tale has become even more salacious with the reported arrest of three Russian cyber experts, one of whom was perp-walked out of a meeting with a bag over his head, and the suspicious death of a former KGB general.

Russia experts say the episode suggests a possible purge related to the US election hack. In a twist of Kremlinology, others say Putin may only be pretending to have arrested and killed cyber operatives. 

Or, others say, neither observation may be true. “Can we really trust Russian news?” asks Dave Aitel, a former analyst with the US National Security Agency, and now CEO of Immunity, a cyber intrusion protection firm.

The story of the arrests appears to have broken at the Russian newspaper Kommersant on Jan. 25. The paper reported (link in Russian) the arrests of Sergei Mikhailov, who heads the Center for Information Security, an arm of the Russian intelligence agency known by the acronym FSB; and Ruslan Stoyanov, a senior researcher with Kaspersky Lab, the computer security company.

Both men were last seen the first week of December. The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that (Russian), in a Stalin-style touch, a bag was suddenly thrown over Mikhailov’s head during a meeting of fellow intelligence officers, and he was led out. Mikhailov has not been seen since. The third arrest was of Dmitry Dokuchayev, a hacker known by the name “Forb.”

In all three cases, the charge is treason, according to Russian news accounts.

From here, the story gets hazy. One way or another, the arrests, according to the Russian media accounts, are linked to the country’s hacking of the US election. 

One suggestion is that those arrested are among the sources that led US intelligence agencies to conclude categorically that Russia hacked the election, that Putin ordered the hack, and that the objective was to help Trump.

Russian media suggest that one or more of the trio either leaked details of Russia’s role directly to American intelligence, or to Christopher Steele, the former British spy believed to have compiled the so-called Trump dossier. 

The dossier is a 35-page memo that suggested various links between Trump and Russia, involving information that allegedly made him vulnerable to extortion.

Which leads to the Dec. 26 death of a former KGB general named Oleg Erovinkin. An initial news account at the Russian website Life.ru said Erovinkin had been killed, shot twice in the head. That version quickly morphed into vaguer accounts of a death-under-investigation.

But the larger interesting fact related to Erovinkin’s death was that Steele’s memo cites a source close to Igor Sechin, the Putin intimate and chairman of Rosneft. And Erovinkin, a long-time senior aide to Sechin, must be that source, a number of the news accounts speculate. Thus, according to these news accounts, there is a link between the Steele memo and Erovinkin’s death.

A big question is why the Kremlin, given its controls over almost all the country’s media, wanted this news out. Among the guesses is that the Kremlin wants firmer confirmation for the US, and perhaps the world, that it in fact did hack the US election.

Aitel, the cyber expert, says the answer is simpler, that the news was “too big not to leak. It is not going to go unnoticed that Kaspersky’s lead researcher went missing.”

DefenseOne:            Cyber Strikeback: Putin’s Aide Hacked:


 

 

« Yahoo Spins A Cautionary Tale Dealing With Data Privacy
Who Owns The Data From The IoT? »

Infosecurity Europe
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Resecurity

Resecurity

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

NordLayer

NordLayer

NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. 

TÜV SÜD Academy UK

TÜV SÜD Academy UK

TÜV SÜD offers expert-led cybersecurity training to help organisations safeguard their operations and data.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

Arcitura Education

Arcitura Education

Arcitura is a leading global provider of progressive, vendor-neutral IT training and certification programs.

RSA Security

RSA Security

RSA provide cybersecurity products for Threat Detection and Response, Identity and Access Management, Governance, Risk and Compliance, and Fraud Prevention.

Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

GCHQ defends Government systems from cyber threat, provide support to the Armed Forces and strive to keep the public safe, in real life and online.

Sandline Discovery

Sandline Discovery

Sandline Discovery provides digital forensics, eDiscovery solutions, managed review and litigation consulting services.

CYQUEO

CYQUEO

CYQUEO is your professional partner and system integrator. We secure your organization against advanced cyber threats.

Invensity

Invensity

INVENSITY is an interdisciplinary technology and innovation consulting company. Centres of excellence include Cyber Security and Data Privacy.

IoT Security Institute (IoTSI)

IoT Security Institute (IoTSI)

IoT Security Institute is an academic and industry body dedicated to providing frameworks and supporting educational services to assist in managing security within an Internet of Things eco-system.

Data Theorem

Data Theorem

Data Theorem is a leading provider in modern application security. Its core mission is to analyze and secure any modern application anytime, anywhere.

Option3

Option3

Option3 (formerly Option3Ventures - O3V) primarily seek control investments in the growing cybersecurity mid-market, seeking to build champions with the scale to bring cutting-edge products to market.

CybX Security LLC

CybX Security LLC

CybX is the first company of its kind to merge the practice of computer forensics with computer security and information security.

SRG Security Resource Group

SRG Security Resource Group

SRG Security Resource Group is a Canadian company dedicated to providing world-class Physical and Cyber Security services.

Pillar Technology Partners

Pillar Technology Partners

Pillar Technology Partners is an Information Security Company with a focus on improving Cyber Risk and optimizing the processes and technology that underpin the security of your information assets.

RADICL

RADICL

RADICL's mission is to give SMBs that serve America's Defense Industrial Base (DIB) access to strong, enterprise-grade cyber security protection.

OutKept

OutKept

OutKept offers the highest quality phishing simulation campaigns, supported by a community of ethical phishers, to build awareness, and maintain alertness.

Meta 1st

Meta 1st

Meta 1st are a progressive SAAS enterprise, dedicated to harnessing the power of AI to address the most critical vulnerabilities in the world of cybersecurity: the Human Layer.

Layer 8 Security

Layer 8 Security

Layer 8 Security is a cybersecurity advisory, consulting, and technical services firm that arms businesses with practical compliance, risk management, and security program strategies.