Spain · Russia · FBI · Ukraine · The Register
Spain collars alleged pro-Russia hacktivist after FBI tip-off
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◎ Multiple-sources
Palencia man suspected of links to CARR, Z-Pentest, and NoName057(16), plus helping a Ukrainian hacker flee to Russia.
Key facts
- Separately, pro-Russia Ukrainian hacktivist Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, was extradited to the US late last year after being charged with offenses related to attacks carried out by CARR
- The US named Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova as CARR's leader and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko as its primary hacker in 2024
- NoName057(16) has been active since at least 2022, and is known for targeting public and private organizations, NATO countries, and those whose interests do not align with Russia's
- The FBI's Cyber Division said in a statement: "Last December, the FBI announced Operation Red Circus, their ongoing effort to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats to the United States
Summary
Spanish police have arrested a man they believe is affiliated with at least two pro-Russia hacktivist groups linked to attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI). Arrested in March at his home in Palencia, central Spain, the man is suspected of having close ties to CyberArmy of Russia Reborn (CARR) and Z-Pentest, and may have carried out attacks on behalf of NoName057(16). All three hacktivist groups were named by the UK's NCSC earlier this year as part of an advisory warning about the dangers these groups pose to Western CNI. The cyber arm of GCHQ, the UK's signals intelligence agency, said organizations should not underestimate pro-Russia hacktivist groups, despite them being known largely for relatively low-impact DDoS attacks.