Description

The French government has publicly accused the Russian-linked APT28 hacking group, tied to the GRU (Russia’s military intelligence agency), of conducting cyberattacks on at least a dozen French organizations over the past four years. In a firm statement, the French foreign ministry condemned these destabilizing cyber operations, labeling them as violations of international norms that Russia itself has agreed to. The statement emphasized the threat these attacks pose, particularly due to the involvement of a permanent UN Security Council member acting contrary to the rules of responsible behavior in cyberspace. According to a report released by the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI), the targets of APT28 include French governmental departments, local authorities, defense contractors, aerospace companies, research institutions, think tanks, and entities in the economic and financial sectors. The agency detailed the group’s repeated targeting of Roundcube email servers and the strategic use of low-cost, outsourced infrastructure such as free hosting services, VPNs, rented servers, and disposable emails to maintain stealth and flexibility. Since the beginning of 2024, APT28 has focused on harvesting strategic intelligence from French and Western diplomatic, research, and governmental bodies. APT28, also known as Fancy Bear or Strontium, has a long history of conducting state-sponsored cyberattacks and is associated with Russia’s GRU Military Unit 26165. The group has been implicated in several high-profile incidents, including the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) breach in 2016 and the 2015 attack on the German Bundestag. Multiple Western governments, including those of Poland, Germany, and NATO allies, have condemned APT28's operations, classifying them as part of Russia’s broader hybrid warfare, which includes disinformation, sabotage, and cyberattacks. France has reaffirmed its commitment to counter such threats with all tools at its disposal.