Germany Summons Russian Envoy Over Surge in Cyberattacks
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Article content(Bloomberg) — Germany’s foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Berlin and said it made it clear there’ll be consequences for hybrid attacks backed by the government in Moscow aimed at undermining democracy.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle content“We have observed a massive increase in threatening hybrid activities by Russia for some time,” ministry spokesman Martin Giese said Friday at the regular government news conference in Berlin.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article content“These range from disinformation campaigns and espionage to cyberattacks and attempted acts of sabotage,” Giese said, adding that the German government had clear evidence of the involvement of Russia’s GRU military-intelligence agency in two specific incidents.Article contentArticle contentThese were a 2024 cyberattack on Germany’s air-traffic control system by a hacker group known as “Fancy Bear,” and interference in February’s election and other domestic affairs by a campaign dubbed “Storm 1516.”Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentTogether with its European partners, Germany would be taking “a series of countermeasures to make Russia pay a price for its hybrid actions,” Giese said, including new sanctions on individuals such as travel bans and freezing of assets.Article contentThe Russian embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Article contentGerman authorities were able to attribute two significant social-media campaigns to Russia by tracking financial transactions and communication and in some cases there were direct links to the GRU, German officials said in a separate briefing Friday.Article contentBetween July 2024 and July this year, 10 cases were investigated, including videos about a supposed romantic affair involving former Greens Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, said the officials, who asked not to be identified in line with briefing rules.Article contentOther cases probed were claims that the current conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz, was treated for psychological problems in a clinic or that he shot baby polar bears in Canada.Article contentMany of the posts are still available on platforms like X because in most cases they do not constitute a criminal act, the officials said.Article content(Updates with additional comments starting in seventh paragraph.)Article contentTrending CRA penalized taxpayer for repeated failure to report income Personal Finance Canadian households boost their wealth to another record high of $18.4 trillion with ‘supercharged' financial asset growth Wealth Posthaste: Canadian investors love the Big Six banks more than is good for them, this adviser says News Couple's TFSAs, RRSPs and non-registered accounts are 90% equities. Should they be more conservative toward retirement?
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Personal Finance Who is Mark Wiseman? The career of the man expected to be Canada’s new U.S. ambassador Finance