The U.S. Department of Justice has sequestered more than 30 internet domains leveraged by a trio of Russian public relations companies to disseminate government propaganda to undermine the upcoming U.S. elections as part of a state-sponsored influence operation, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Under the "Doppelganger" influence campaign, ANO Dialog, Structura National Technology, and the Social Design Agency have been ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin's First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko to spread disinformation meant to curtail support for Ukraine while advancing pro-Russian interests and policies, especially in U.S. swing states, according to the Justice Department.
Attacks by the Russian firms were noted by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to have involved cybersquatting, with one of the seized domains found to impersonate The Washington Post's website.
"Today's announcement reveals Russia is willing to impersonate our free and open press in its egregious schemes. This is our third disruption of Russian foreign malign influence operations in two months, and the Justice Department remains relentless in protecting Americans from such unacceptable conduct," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.
