**US and Microsoft Seize Over 100 Web Domains in Alleged Russian Hacking Operation**

The US Justice Department, in collaboration with Microsoft, has seized more than 100 web domains allegedly utilized by a Russian intelligence agency to execute hacking attempts targeting US officials, civil-society groups, and Russians residing in the United States. The large-scale hacking campaign aimed to gather intelligence on US and allied support for Ukraine and to disrupt pro-democracy and human rights organizations in the US, UK, and Eastern Europe. This operation further underscores the Justice Department's efforts to unveil covert Russian activities targeting US democracy ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Unlike direct assaults on political campaigns or election infrastructure, these hackers focused on eroding the integrity of civil-society groups vital for democratic function, according to Microsoft. From January 2023 to August 2024, 30 organizations, including media outlets, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations, were targeted; hackers stole sensitive internal data and attempted to undermine their operations, stated Steven Masada, an assistant general counsel at Microsoft.

The stolen data encompassed "sensitive information" regarding the identity of US government employees and details on US defense and security policies, as reported in an affidavit filed by an FBI agent. Such information is deemed particularly beneficial to the Russian government's malign foreign influence operations within the US.

While the timing of the hacks involving sensitive US government information remains unclear, a US indictment unsealed last year against alleged members of the same hacking group indicated that valuable intelligence was stolen between 2016 and 2022. The hackers, allegedly linked to Russia's FSB intelligence agency, are said to have a broad mandate to monitor dissidents both domestically and internationally via their hacking expertise. The UK government has also accused the group of attempting to interfere in UK political processes over the years.

Hackers linked to the FSB, a successor to the KGB, have posed significant threats to US critical infrastructure, especially energy facilities. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian intelligence agencies, including the FSB, have aggressively pursued cyber campaigns to understand and disrupt Western military aid to Ukraine.

John Scott-Railton from the University of Toronto's The Citizen Lab highlighted the severe implications of such cyber activities. A single compromised account, he noted, can endanger the safety and liberty of a broader network. The initiative to seize the internet domains was facilitated by the NGO Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which protects civil-society groups from hacking. Microsoft and other NGOs collaborated to file the lawsuit in federal court, enabling the tech giant to take down these domains.

Natalia Krapiva from Access Now praised the courageous victims who contributed their stories and data, making this decisive action possible. The Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, has been approached for comment, though the Kremlin routinely rejects US hacking allegations.