A Belarusian hacking collective known as Cyber Partisans has made bold claims of breaching the country’s secret service, the KGB, and exposing the identities of nearly 9,000 agents and informants.
According to statements released on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter), Cyber Partisans asserts that it gained access to the Belarusian KGB’s website, causing a significant disruption lasting two months. During this breach, the group purportedly obtained sensitive information on 8,600 KGB personnel, subsequently creating a bot capable of identifying agents based on facial recognition technology.
The group also alleges responsibility for leaking over 40,000 official documents submitted to the Belarusian KGB by informants. Despite encountering obstacles leading to the closure of their website, Cyber Partisans remains steadfast in their endeavors, stating ongoing development efforts.
#belarus #kgb got hacked by @cpartisans. The KGB website is down for 2months. KGB database leaked on our tg channel https://t.co/64lo0JPf4i pic.twitter.com/gmWeXtj3Xr
— Belarusian Cyber-Partisans (@cpartisans) April 27, 2024
This isn’t the first time Cyber Partisans has made headlines. Previously, they turned the passport of Belarus’s president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, into a controversial NFT listed for sale on OpenSea.
In response to accusations from KGB chief Ivan Tertel regarding alleged plans to target critical infrastructure, Cyber Partisans’ coordinator, Yuliana Shametavets, defended the group’s actions. Shametavets emphasized their mission to safeguard Belarusians against oppressive regimes, contrasting with the KGB’s record of political repression.
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, incidents like these underscore the ongoing battle between state authorities and independent hacker collectives, raising questions about privacy, security, and accountability in the digital age.