Rosneft hit by German hackers: Major cyberattack forces Putin crony’s oil giant to take systems down
Russian energy giant Rosneft has been hit by a major cyberattack, according to various news reports in Germany.
Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, the BSI, confirmed that hacker group Anonymous has targeted several units of Rosneft, forcing the Russian oil company to take its systems down.
Anonymous published a statement confirming responsibility for the attack, revealing it had captured 20 terabytes of data.
Prosecutors in Berlin have opened an investigation, according to a report in Der Spiegel magazine.
Rosneft is reportedly responsible for around a quarter of all crude oil imports to Germany and holds stakes in three refineries in the country. Its chief executive, Igor Sechin, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is chairman of the board of directors.
The BSI had warned earlier this month for an increased risk of cyberattacks and an “increased threat situation for Germany” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, advising companies to improve their IT security measures.