Russia-backed group hacked into police networks and NATO, say Dutch authorities

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo by Samuel Fisher via Unsplash

AMSTERDAM  -  A previously unknown Russian hacking group was behind attacks last year on the networks of the Dutch police, NATO and several European countries, Dutch intelligence agencies said on Tuesday.

The group, nicknamed Laundry Bear by the security agencies, was most likely supported by the Russian state, the Dutch General Intelligence Agency and Military Agency said in a joint letter to parliament.

"The cyberattacks against Dutch institutions are part of a larger international cyber threat posed by the hacker group," they said in a statement detailing the findings of their probe into the incidents.

The group operated under the radar until it was discovered conducting a hacking operation in September 2024 in which it successfully gained access to the confidential details of Dutch police officials, it said.

Laundry Bear also conducted cyber-espionage against companies that produce high-end technologies that Russia has difficulty accessing due to Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, it said.

"The investigation also reveals that Laundry Bear has been responsible for cyber operations against Western governments and other institutions since at least 2024," the statement added.

It said the group had sought to get hold of information related to "the procurement and production of military equipment by Western governments and Western arms deliveries to Ukraine".

 (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch;Editing by Helen Popper)