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Secondhand medals reveal existence of Russian intelligence cyber units
6 Articles
6 Articles
Russia’s Most Secretive FSB’s Spy Network Unmasked by Souvenir Badges Sold Online
An open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation has uncovered the internal structure and geographic footprint of one of the Russian Federal Security Service’s most secretive units—Center 16—responsible for electronic surveillance and cyber espionage. The findings were made possible by analyzing images of commemorative and service badges shared online by FSB personnel and collectors. According to a report published by Finnish research group Che…
Secondhand medals reveal existence of Russian intelligence cyber units
A new report has analyzed public images of medals from the 16th Center of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's internal intelligence branch responsible for communications espionage, uncovering valuable information about its organization.
Researchers uncover secretive Russian spy unit by studying its commemorative badges
A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS in Finland have managed to outline the structure and geographic footprint of a highly secretive Russian signals intelligence (SIGINT) unit by studying commemorative badges issued by the Russian government. The research group, known as CheckFirst, specializes in open-source (OSINT) investigative reporting and works to combat online disinformation.
The desire to be enriched led to the disclosure of data on the Russian spy centre.
In May 2025, the Federal Intelligence Service, the Federal Office for Information Security and the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection, together with international partners such as the US National Security Agency, issued a joint cybersecurity advisory on the cyber activities of the Russian GRU unit 26165. The group, also known as Fancy Bear, Sofacy and Forest Blizzard, is currently attacking mainly logistics and technology companies tha…
Employees of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), while trading badges, accidentally revealed the structure of the secret 16th Center, which deals with cyberespionage.
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