The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) acknowledges that it was the target of a hacker attack in late October, according to Reuters.
The French newspaper Le Monde attributes the attack to the Russian hacker group called “APT28” (“Advanced Persistent Threat 28”), better known as “Fancy Bear,” which American officials have accused of hacking major political institutions in the United States.
The OSCE’s official spokesperson told Reuters that the organization has secured its computers since the intrusion, updating its staff’s protections and passwords.
On Wednesday, the French newspaper Le Monde cited an anonymous source in a Western intelligence agency, claiming that the Russian group Fancy Bear is responsible for the attack on the OSCE.
Officials told Reuters they are aware about the “speculation” that Russian hackers are behind the attack, but the OSCE says it lacks the capacity to investigate the charges, and prefers not to make any specific accusations.
This fall, the U.S. Intelligence Community publicly named the Russian government for directing "the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations."
On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the outgoing Obama administration is close to announcing a new series of punitive measures against the Kremlin, in response to its alleged interference in the presidential election, which Moscow supposedly accomplished through groups like Fancy Bear.
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