In era of fake news and disinformation, election hacking is rife. This week, software giant Microsoft announced it had taken down several fake websites allegedly created by hacking group Fancy Bear. It is thought the group was hoping to disrupt the US midterm elections through phishing attacks targeting right wing think tanks – including one led by a prominent Donald Trump critic.
The group – also known as APT28 and Strontium – is allegedly affiliated with Russian military intelligence agency the GRU. Fancy Bear’s aims centre around geopolitical disruption through cyber influence.
The group’s aims are to weaken and intimidate those perceived as hostile to Russian interests, especially those supportive of Western sanctions on the Kremlin, says Dan Arenson, a senior analyst at Falanx Group. He says one method of doing this is by gaining access to sensitive data that “could embarrass the targeted organisation and thereby undermine its effectiveness”.