Russian Intelligence Documents Bought and Sold on Cybercriminal Platforms

A cybercrime group has begun advertising classified Russian intelligence documents on Telegram, including insights on espionage concerns and the use of the Chinese messaging app WeChat, showcasing the vulnerability of national security information in the digital age.

As cybercrime evolves, so does the dark marketplace for stolen intelligence. Recently, a group operating on the messaging platform Telegram, known as Ares Leaks, has been promoting a collection of classified documents purportedly obtained from Russia's Federal Security Service (F.S.B.). In this underground marketplace, criminals post prices for valuable intelligence pieces—including intelligence reports from Indonesia and diplomatic communications from Taiwan—making crucial state secrets available to the highest bidder.

In November, Ares Leaks stirred intrigue by advertising classified Russian documents for sale, claiming they were sourced directly from the F.S.B. Although major publications like The New York Times typically do not engage in the purchasing of stolen documents, they often accept unconditionally provided materials for analysis purposes. As part of their operations, groups like Ares Leaks frequently share free samples of their offerings to entice potential buyers.

The samples shared by Ares Leaks included a crucial counterintelligence document concerning China from the F.S.B. It appeared to originate from the agency's Department for Counterintelligence Operations (D.K.R.O.). The document revealed Moscow's apprehensions about Chinese espionage and indicated the existence of a covert program to scrutinize data from the Chinese messaging service, WeChat.

This leak provides a rare glimpse into the intricate dynamics of the Russia-China relationship, a crucial yet enigmatic alliance in present-day geopolitics. The document's content aligns with previous F.S.B. disclosures, reinforcing its credibility based on expert scrutiny from reporters specializing in Russian intelligence matters. Potentially, this incident underlines the ongoing threat of cybercrime, which now extends into the realm of national security, transforming intelligence into a tradable commodity on the dark web.