26.01.2018

Dutch intelligence uncovered Russian interference in US elections

The Dutch intelligence agency, AIVD, provided the FBI with crucial information about Russian interference in the US elections. On 25 January 2018, Dutch media, de Volkskrant and Nieuwsuur, revealed how the AIVD penetrated the Kremlin's team of hackers, Cozy Bear, as the Russians infiltrated the White House, State Department and Democratic National Committee.

Western intelligence services have been hunting Cozy Bear for years as it attacks government agencies and businesses around the globe, including in The Netherlands. Together with Fancy Bear, another group of Russian hackers, Cozy Bear hacked into the Democratic National Committee ahead of the US presidential elections. The group was caught by Dutch intelligence services, who again alerted their US counterparts.