Russian Hackers Hit NATO Nuclear Research in Prolonged Cyber Espionage Campaign

A Russian state-linked cyber espionage group conducted a yearlong operation targeting US nuclear researchers, defense contractors, government officials, and NATO-aligned organizations to harvest sensitive intelligence on advanced nuclear research and defense technologies, exploiting a rare email vulnerability that allowed access after simply opening a malicious email (no link-click required). Investigators say the campaign aimed to gather classified information to aid Moscow’s military efforts against Ukraine, with arrests and investigations taking place across multiple countries.