The National Cyber Security Centre says targets included firms in Russia and Ukraine; the US Democratic Party; and a small TV network in the UK. World Anti-Doping Agency computers are also said to have been attacked.
After the attack, files of British cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome had surfaced showing the athletes using banned substances which were taken for legitimate medical reasons.
At the time, some of the attacks were linked to Russia – but this is the first time the UK has singled out the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service.
British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson condemned Russia as a “pariah state”, and said Moscow’s “reckless and indiscriminate” attacks had left it isolated in the international community.
The NCSC says hackers from the GRU, operating under a dozen different names including Fancy Bear and they have targeted the systems database of the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency, using phishing to gain passwords to gain Athletes’ data which was later published among other information other agencies.
Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova said the UK’s accusations were false.
