Russia alleged to increase cyber aggressions since 2021, with the 'Fancy Bear' GRU division under scrutiny by France.
Bashing the Bears: A Deep Dive into APT28's Cyberattacks on French Entities
painful truth be told, things ain't exactly rosy in the cybersecurity realm between France and Russia. The French Foreign Ministry set the internet ablaze on April 29 when it pointed a finger at Russia's military intelligence (GRU) for ratcheting up cyberattacks on French ministries, defense firms, and think tanks since 2021. The primary aim? You guessed it—to rock the boat and destabilize France.
Enter APT28, also infamously known as 'Fancy Bear'—residents of Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia. France has slapped them with charges, and it's not their first rodeo; they've been on the receiving end of similar accusations from other Western nations. But this time around, France is taking a stand, leaning on its own intelligence.
The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) reported a surge in cyberattacks over the past year. In 2024 alone, about 4,000 such attacks were traced back to Russian actors, a 15% jump from the previous year. Here's where it gets interesting—the number of attacks targeting French ministries, local administrations, defense companies, aerospace firms, think tanks, and economic organizations saw a sharp increase.
APT28 wasn't content with just France; they were after strategic intel from organizations across Europe and North America. According to ANSSI, these destabilizing activities are simply unacceptable, especially for a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. France, along with its partners, is gearing up to take action, promising to anticipate, deter, and respond to Russia's underhanded activities in cyberspace.
This isn't APT28's first time causing chaos in France. Back in 2015, they orchestrated a hacker attack that knocked TV5 Monde off the air. Another attack during the 2017 French presidential election saw emails related to the winning party mixed with disinformation.
The French government decided to go public with this information, recognizing the need to keep the public informed in these uncertain times, as France navigates its connections with the Russian war in Ukraine.
Russian hacker groups have been waging cyber warfare throughout the full-scale war, attacking Ukraine, tampering with civilian infrastructure in Europe, and interfering in foreign elections.
Let's take a step back and look at the timeline of key incidents:
2015 TV5Monde Attack: - Initial network compromise via supplier networks and IP-connected cameras in January 2015. - Destructive attack using custom malware in April, crippling broadcasting systems. Attackers initially blamed ISIS, but Security firm FireEye linked the attack to APT28. - Reconnaissance lasted 10 weeks, targeting encoder systems to disrupt transmissions. Engineers narrowly averted permanent destruction by disconnecting infected hardware.
2021–2024 Campaigns: APT28 targeted "a dozen French entities" (government, military, and private sectors) using advanced malware like HeadLace, which exfiltrates data and enables lateral movement.
2024–2025 Escalation: - September 2024: NATO members, including Germany, issued warnings about APT28 targeting alliance states. - April 2025: France formally accused Russia's GRU of orchestrating APT28 attacks, citing persistent threats to national security.
Clearly, APT28 has been up to no good. attribution and motives? They've been linked to Russia’s military intelligence (GRU), and their aim has been to destabilize, disrupt, and collect valuable intel. The international community is responding, with France denouncing the operations, sharing intelligence with EU partners, and defending themselves in any way they can.
As for APT28's director, Yves Bigot, of TV5 Monde, he had some powerful words back in 2015: "We were a couple of hours from having the whole station gone for good." He also cited the engineer who saved the station as a hero. It's a reminder that, in the face of adversity, there are always heroes willing to stand up and protect what's theirs.
- APT28, also known as 'Fancy Bear', has been charged by France for conducting cyberattacks on French entities since 2021, with the primary aim of destabilizing the country.
- The French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) reported a surge in cyberattacks over the past year, with about 4,000 such attacks traced back to Russian actors in 2024 alone, a 15% jump from the previous year.
- The French government has promised to anticipate, deter, and respond to Russia's underhanded activities in cyberspace, aligning with its partners in the face of APT28's tactics.
- The international community is responding to APT28's activities, with France denouncing the operations, sharing intelligence with EU partners, and defending themselves in any way they can.
- In the realm of politics, war-and-conflicts, general-news, and technology, the escalating cyberattacks by APT28, linked to Russia’s military intelligence (GRU), pose a significant threat to France and other Western nations, requiring heightened cybersecurity measures.
