The European Union (EU) has officially blamed Russia for the “Ghostwriter” cyberattack campaign, targeting high-ranking EU officials, journalists, and the general public.
A press release by European Council officials stated that by gaining access to computer systems and personal accounts and stealing data, these hostile cyber operations target countless members of Parliaments, government officials, Politicians, journalists, and members of civil society in the EU.
“The European Union and its Member States strongly denounce these malicious cyber activities, which all involved must put to an end immediately. We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to the norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The European Union will revert to this issue in upcoming meetings and consider taking further steps,” reads the press release.
Such efforts aim to jeopardize the European nations’ integrity and security, as well as democratic norms and principles.
According to EU authorities, these cyber operations are in striking contrast to conventional state behavior, which is approved by all UN member states.
The attacks are also viewed as blatant attempts to disrupt the EU’s democratic institutions and procedures, including misinformation and information manipulation.
Germany earlier this month linked the Ghostwriter’s “malicious cyber actions” to Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, with German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrea Sasse claiming that the German Parliament had been attacked at least three times this year.
Germany also announced in March that the Russian military intelligence hacking organization Ghostwriter is the primary suspect in a spear-phishing attack that targeted numerous members of Parliament.
The European Council also stated that the European Union and its Member States strongly condemn these harmful cyber actions, which must be stopped immediately by all parties concerned. They appeal to the Russian Federation to follow the rules of responsible cyber-state behavior.
In forthcoming sessions, the European Union will address this problem and consider taking more action.
