MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has exposed a large-scale scheme involving the installation of spyware onto the phones of high-ranking officials by foreign intelligence services, the FSB said.

TASS has collected key details about the scheme.

Wiretapping scheme

- The FSB has exposed a large-scale scheme involving the installation of spyware onto the phones of high-ranking officials by foreign intelligence services.

- The spyware enabled hackers to wiretap calls and provided audio-and video-control near affected devices.

- Using the technical capabilities of major international IT corporations through the use of mobile communication devices, agents of foreign special services carried out a covert mission to wiretap devices targeted in the cyberattack, the FSB reported.

- The installation of spyware onto the phones of high-ranking Russian officials became one of the largest operations by foreign special services, an FSB operative said in a video comment.

- According to him, foreign spy services were planning to collect data regarding contacts, plans and sentiments in society, without resorting to any non-profit organizations as mediators.

- Attempts to collect data were made through accessing the contents of the phone, including text messages, by covert means, telephone tapping, establishing acoustic and video control of the situation near hacked devices as well as monitoring geolocation and contacts, the FSB noted.

- We can already say that this was a multi-layered scheme fraught with far-reaching consequences and major risks that would involve coordination from various countries, he stressed.

Blacklists

- Officials wiretapped by foreign special services were later blacklisted in the United States and the European Union, the operative added.

- Also, this was later used for pressure against officials.

Probe

- The FSB’s investigative department has opened a criminal case.

- A criminal probe is underway, with the perpetrators, infrastructure channels, affected officials and the volume of compromised data currently being identified, the FSB said.

Warning from FSB

- In carrying out destructive activities, foreign special services use cutting-edge information technology, including on mobile operating systems, the FSB warned.

- Discussing confidential information on or near hacked devices is inadmissible as the content of conversations may be leaked to third parties and cause irretrievable consequences, the Russian Federal Security Service concluded.