Laundry Bear: Unmasking the Covert Russian Hacking Group Targeting NATO and European Security

A previously unidentified Russian hacking group was responsible for last year’s breaches of the Dutch police, NATO, and several European nations, according to Dutch intelligence agencies on Tuesday.

Known as Laundry Bear by security officials, the group is believed to have received support from the Russian government, as indicated in a joint communication to parliament from the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service and the Military Intelligence and Security Service.

According to their statement outlining the results of their investigation, «the cyberattacks targeting Dutch institutions are part of a broader international cyber threat posed by this hacker group.»

The group remained undetected until September 2024, when they were found to be executing a hacking operation that compromised sensitive information about Dutch police personnel.

Additionally, Laundry Bear was involved in cyber-espionage against firms that develop advanced technologies that Russia struggles to obtain due to Western sanctions stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.

«The inquiry has also uncovered that Laundry Bear has undertaken cyber operations against Western governments and other entities since at least 2024,» the statement noted.

It further indicated that the group aimed to acquire details concerning «the procurement and manufacturing of military equipment by Western nations and the Western arms supplies to Ukraine.»