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Latvia Says Russia Targets Its Foreign, Defense Bodies with Cyber Attack


A general view shows the headquarters of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formerly known as the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 4, 2018.
A general view shows the headquarters of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formerly known as the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), in Moscow, Russia, Oct. 4, 2018.

Russia has carried out cyber attacks on Latvia's foreign and defense apparatus and other state institutions, a Latvian intelligence agency said on Monday.

Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) has tried to access information by e-mail phishing attacks against government computers in "recent years", Latvia's Constitution Protection Bureau said.

"The cyber attacks in Latvia were carried out by the GRU for espionage purposes, and the most frequent attacks were directed against state institutions, including the foreign and defense sectors," it said in a statement.

No attacks directed at influencing last weekend's parliamentary elections were detected, it said.

Several Western countries issued coordinated denunciations of Russia last week for running what they described as a global hacking campaign, targeting institutions from sports anti-doping bodies to a nuclear power company and the chemical weapons watchdog.

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    Reuters

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