Russian Spies, Hacker Indicted In Yahoo Hack

The Justice Department has issued a 47-count indictment against two Russian operatives and one notorious Russian hacker for perpetrating one of the biggest data breaches in U.S. corporate history against Yahoo. This marks the first time the Justice Department has charged Russian officials in such a case. Together, the Russians gained access to 500 million accounts. The spies combed for information from diplomats, journalists, Russian officials and politicians critical of the Kremlin. The hacker, meanwhile, searched emails for gift card codes, credit card numbers, and information necessary to launch a massive spam campaign. Another suspect in the hack was arrested Tuesday in Canada. The spies, members of Russia’s Federal Security Service, “used criminal hackers to gain information some of which clearly has intelligence value,” Mary McCord, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, told The Los Angeles Times. “The criminal hackers used the opportunity to line their own pockets.”