Which Russian group was behind the Solar Winds attack to gain long-term access to U.S. government entities?

Which Russian group was behind the Solar Winds attack to gain long-term access to U.S. government entities?

• A. The Russian foreign intelligence service
• B. The Russian security service
• C. The Russian military intelligence
• D. The KGB

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is attribution of a major cyber operation to the right Russian agency based on its typical mission and history. SolarWinds was a long-running supply-chain attack that granted attackers persistent access to many U.S. government networks. Investigations and expert analysis consistently link this operation to Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, whose role is foreign espionage and covert cyber operations abroad. The group behind it is known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, and researchers widely associate that group with the SVR. The KGB is the former name of Russia’s security apparatus and no longer exists, while the other options correspond to domestic security (FSB) or military intelligence (GRU), which have different focuses. So, the agency best aligned with this operation is the Russian foreign intelligence service.

The key idea here is attribution of a major cyber operation to the right Russian agency based on its typical mission and history. SolarWinds was a long-running supply-chain attack that granted attackers persistent access to many U.S. government networks. Investigations and expert analysis consistently link this operation to Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, whose role is foreign espionage and covert cyber operations abroad. The group behind it is known as APT29 or Cozy Bear, and researchers widely associate that group with the SVR. The KGB is the former name of Russia’s security apparatus and no longer exists, while the other options correspond to domestic security (FSB) or military intelligence (GRU), which have different focuses. So, the agency best aligned with this operation is the Russian foreign intelligence service.