Russian intelligence accused of hacking Macron’s correspondence
Two Western companies specializing in cybersecurity have received evidence of the involvement of Russian intelligence services to hack the correspondence of French President Emmanuel Macron and his entourage, reports Le Monde.
Macron’s email was hacked in May 2017 before the second round of the French presidential election. In July, Wikileaks posted 21 thousand letters related to the election campaign of the French President. Macron said at the time that Russian hackers were behind this, but no evidence was given.
According to the Le Monde, APT28 and Sandworm groups are behind the break-in. They are associated with Russian intelligence services. The British Foreign Ministry and US special prosecutor Robert Mueller accused these hacker groups of hacking Hillary Clinton’s correspondence.
According to sources, the hacking of Macron’s headquarters was prepared for several months. Hackers sent phishing emails to steal passwords and personal data to both Macron’s relatives and inner circle, as well as members of his “La République En Marche!” party.
Earlier, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against six Russian companies that, with the help of a malicious Dridex computer program, stole more than $100 million in 40 countries. US Treasury Department considers that several hackers involved in this crime are associated with Russian intelligence.