FSB expected to meddle with elections too

Russia’s security service, the FSB, made numerous cyber-attacks targeting UK politicians and other public figures and stole data linked to the 2019 election, the British government says. The accusation is that a group of FSB-linked hackers calling itself Centre 18 has been targeting the UK since at least 2015, stealing private emails of politicians, civil servants, think-tank researchers, journalists, academics and others in public life. The British claim is expected to be followed by concerted campaigns in the UK and the US to disrupt anticipated FSB efforts to interfere with next year’s elections. David Cameron, the foreign secretary, promised to hold Russia to account for its actions. Russia’s ambassador, summoned to the Foreign Office to explain the hack, denied the accusation. A previous advisory from the National Cyber Security Centre, an arm of GCHQ, warned of emails being targeted by both Russia and Iran.