---
title: "A Russian Intelligence Contractor Just Got Hacked"
description: "A team of hackers stole 7.5 terabytes of information from a company working for Russian intelligence, revealing a number of troubling projects."
date: "2019-07-23"
modified: "2019-07-23"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russia-intelligence-contractor-hacked"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "cybersecurity"
  - "hack"
  - "Russia"
  - "the digest"
  - "tor"
---

# A Russian Intelligence Contractor Just Got Hacked

![A team of hackers stole 7.5 terabytes of information from a company working for Russian intelligence, revealing a number of troubling projects.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/russia-intelligence-contractor-hacked.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## I'm In

A team of hackers going by the name ov1ru$ stole 7.5 terabytes of data from SyTech, a company working for Russian intelligence agency Federal Security Service.

The hack, first [reported by *BBC Russia*](<https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-49050982>), took place earlier this month. It revealed a number of Russian intelligence projects that the hackers published on Twitter, including one with the goal of finding out how to deanonymize people using the [privacy-focused Tor browser](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/global-crackdown-dark-web-marketplaces>). The hack, which resulted in SyTech's website being defaced with a popular meme, [per *ZDNet*](<https://www.zdnet.com/article/hackers-breach-fsb-contractor-expose-tor-deanonymization-project/>), is a troubling look into FSB's goals — and a sign that even secretive [government agencies](<https://futurism.com/navy-struggling-onslaught-hackers>) aren't as secure as one might think.

## Inside Look

The hackers revealed that Russia is particularly interested in intercepting and tracking suspect online activity, especially as it relates to online piracy and Tor usage. Ironically, *ZDNet* reports that a project called Tax-3 is attempting to create a private intranet to ramp up high-ranking officials' cybersecurity.

Then there are projects like Hope, which is mapping the Russian internet to figure out [how it's connected](<https://futurism.com/russian-sub-fire-internet-cables>) to the rest of the world — perhaps as part of Russia's plan to [develop a kill switch](<https://futurism.com/russia-internet-security-test>) that would cut the country off from the rest of the world.

Many of these projects remain untested, according to *ZDNet*, except for Hope and the Tor-deanonymizing project Nautilus-S. But ever since the hack, SyTech has deactivated its website and refused to answer any questions about the projects.

**READ MORE:** [Hackers breach FSB contractor, expose Tor deanonymization project and more](<https://www.zdnet.com/article/hackers-breach-fsb-contractor-expose-tor-deanonymization-project/>) \[*ZDNet*\]

**More on hackers:** *[US Navy Struggling to Deal With an Onslaught of Hackers](<https://futurism.com/navy-struggling-onslaught-hackers>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)