Dutch intelligence warned US about APT29 Russian hackers, claims report

Dutch intelligence took control of hacking group's CCTV cameras in Moscow, monitoring everyone who came and went

Dutch intelligence officials reportedly hacked a group of Russian state-linked cyber crooks more than a year before they cracked the Democratic National Committee in 2016 - and warned US intelligence about their intentions.

During the US presidential election, it is believed that Russian hackers compromised the Democratic Party's IT infrastructure and were able to get hold of damning emails. It has been suggested that the release of these emails influenced the election results.

However, before this incident happened, officials from a Dutch intelligence agency had intercepted the hacking group and warned American officials about the threat.

According to Australian newspaper The Age, cyber espionage specialists from Dutch intelligence agency AIVD identified the Russa-based hacking group referred to as APT29 (also known as 'Cozy Bear') in 2014. The group is noted for launching attacks on the White House and State Department.

The Dutch intelligence agency was therefore able to build a profile of the hackers, running images they took from the compromised CCTV cameras against faces of known Russian cyber criminals

The agency hacked into the group's systems and was able to pinpoint their location to a university in Red Square, Moscow.

Not only were agency workers able to do this, but they were also able to tap into and control the security cameras in the hacking group's offices, enabling them to see who came in and out of the building.

"Not only can the intelligence service now see what the Russians are doing, they can also see who's doing it," said Dutch newspaper.

The Dutch intelligence agency was therefore able to build a profile of the hackers, running images they took from the compromised CCTV cameras against faces of known Russian cyber criminals.

We'd never expected that the Russians would do this, attacking our vital infrastructure and undermining our democracy

AIVD agents monitored the group's headquarters between 2014 and 2017, allegedly passing information to the CIA and US National Security Agency warning them about potential attacks on American government organisations.

This information was likely used in the FBI's investigation into Russian interference during the presidential election, the report suggests.

A US official, who has worked in cyber security at the State Department, told the newspaper: "We'd never expected that the Russians would do this, attacking our vital infrastructure and undermining our democracy."