Attack ran over weeks: BSI analyzes Russian cyber attack on Eastern Europe Association

A presumed cyber attack on the German Society for Eastern Europe (DGO) is presumably controlled by Russia. The Federal Office for Information Technology (BSI) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution both said they were involved in the processing and analysis of the incident.

Hacker group is controlled by secret service

First “Bild” had reported that the cyber attack on the account of the hacking group APT 29, also known as “Cozy Bear”, should go. It is a group controlled by the Russian secret service SWR. The Kremlin hackers are also suspected of having attacked several German parties with malware.

The German Society for Eastern Europe had already made the attack, in which the attackers had gained access to the mail traffic of the DOG, made public at the end of March. According to a spokesman, she had noticed the cyber attack when an IP address was accessed to the mail server of the Science Association several times, which had already been noticed in a similar attack last year.

Other clubs and organizations in Berlin who deal with Russia and Belarus were also suspended, according to the spokesman, physical reenacts and burglaries in which data carriers were stolen. The spokesman emphasized that IT security had already been raised after the first incident. As an association that has many members, but only a few staff, the DGO could hardly defend itself against professional hackers.

Warning letters to institutes and clubs

A few weeks ago, the constitutional protection had sent a letter to around 70 scientific institutions and clubs in which he warned of Russian cyber attacks. The German Society for Eastern Europe has been “undesirable” in Russia since February 2024 and has been considered “extremist” there since July 2024.

The classification as an undesirable foreign organization is equivalent to a ban on activity in Russia. Cooperation with such organizations can be punishable for Russian experts. In the past few years, the Russian judiciary has classified almost all political foundations of German parties as undesirable, as well as the German Historical Institute Moscow and finally the German Society for Foreign Policy (DGAP).