Russia’s GRU hacks gas firm with links to Joe Biden

Russian military agents hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the centre of the impeachment of Donald Trump.

Joe Biden speaks to volunteers at his Iowa campaign headquarters. Picture: AFP

A US cyber-security company says agents from Russian military intelligence (GRU) successfully hacked the Ukrainian gas company at the centre of the scandal involving Donald Trump’s efforts to dig up dirt on Democratic rival Joe Biden.

GRU agents launched a phishing campaign in early ­November aimed at stealing the log-in credentials for employees of Burisma, according to Area 1, a Silicon Valley company that specialises in email security.

Hunter Biden, son of the former vice-president and Democratic presidential hopeful, has served on Burisma’s board.

It was not clear from an eight-page report posted online by Area 1 what the hackers were looking for or may have obtained. The timing of the operation suggests, however, the Russian agents could be searching for material that could damage the Bidens.

The House of Representatives impeached Mr Trump last month for abusing the power of his office by enlisting Kiev to investigate Mr Biden. A second charge accused him of obstructing the congressional investigation.

Area 1 chief executive Oren Falkowitz is a former National Security Agency employee. His company’s clients include candidates for US federal elected offices. Last week he said that top candidates for the US presidency and House and Senate races this year had in the past few months each been targeted by about a thousand phishing emails.

GRU agents have been indicted for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential race.

Stolen emails were released online through WikiLeaks in an effort to favour Mr Trump.

Area 1 discovered the new GRU campaign on New Year’s Eve. Mr Falkowitz said the GRU agents used fake, lookalike domains designed to mimic Burisma subsidiaries. The cyber-security researchers said the operation targeting Burisma used tactics, techniques and procedures that GRU agents had used repeatedly in other phishing operations.

AP