Rosstat Confirms Cyberattack After Hacker Groups Claim 23 TB Data Theft
Rosstat confirmed targeted cyberattacks on its information resources, which ran from October 29 to November 1, but denied that its databases were compromised or legally protected information leaked. Belarusian-linked groups Silent Crow and “Cyber Partisans BY” claimed they accessed central and regional systems, gained control of about 25,000 computers and servers, and stole roughly 23 terabytes of data. These claims have not been independently verified.
Key points
- Rosstat confirmed targeted attacks on its information resources from October 29 to November 1.
- The Rosstat website was unavailable during the attacks, and the agency said it would restore it soon.
- Silent Crow and “Cyber Partisans BY” claimed access to Rosstat’s central office, regional branches, and main interregional statistical-processing center.
- The hackers said they controlled about 25,000 computers and servers.
- The hackers claimed to have extracted roughly 23 terabytes of databases, internal documents, and service information.
- The hackers said the stolen materials include information about Russian military losses in the war against Ukraine.
- Rosstat denied database compromise and leakage of legally protected information; the alleged theft has not been independently confirmed.
Why it matters
The hackers’ claims, if accurate, would expose large quantities of Russian government data, including information about military losses in Ukraine. Compromise of central and regional Rosstat systems could also affect the availability, integrity, and public credibility of official statistics. The contrast between the hackers’ allegations and Rosstat’s denial, compounded by the lack of independent verification, means the scale of the breach remains uncertain.
What happened
Rosstat said targeted cyberattacks affected its information resources from October 29 through November 1, temporarily making its website unavailable. The agency said its infrastructure operated normally and that monitoring systems detected suspicious activity promptly, while announcing plans to restore the website soon. Silent Crow and “Cyber Partisans BY” claimed they compromised and destroyed parts of Rosstat’s internal IT infrastructure, accessed central and regional systems, and placed their logos and a Belarusian-language warning on the agency’s website and regional pages. They reported extracting about 23 terabytes of material, including databases, internal documents, service information, and material from employees’ computers. Rosstat denied that its databases were compromised or that legally protected information leaked.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focused particularly on the hackers’ claim that the breach yielded information about Russian military losses in Ukraine. It also highlighted the alleged scale of access and data theft, the disruption of Rosstat’s website, and the discrepancy between the hackers’ claims and the agency’s official denial of database compromise.
Where reporting differs
The hackers claim they accessed central and regional systems, controlled about 25,000 computers and servers, and stole roughly 23 terabytes of data. Rosstat denies compromising its databases or leaking legally protected information and says its infrastructure operated normally. The hackers also claim the material includes information about Russian military losses, but neither their possession of the stated data nor the accuracy of their account has been independently confirmed.
Background
The reported attacks began on October 29 and continued through November 1. Rosstat said its monitoring systems detected suspicious activity in time. The same hacker groups had previously announced an attack on Aeroflot, after which the airline canceled dozens of flights.