tech
Revealed: Russia’s Top Secret Spy School Teaching Hacking and Election Meddling
Exclusive: Documents obtained by consortium of journalists show role of Moscow university in training operatives in military intelligence
TL;DR
- A secret faculty within Bauman Moscow State Technical University, known as Department 4, has been uncovered, training students for Russia's GRU.
- Leaked documents detail a curriculum focused on hacking, disinformation, electronic eavesdropping, and psychological manipulation.
- Graduates are reportedly assigned to elite GRU cyber units like Fancy Bear and Sandworm, implicated in election interference and major cyber-attacks.
- The GRU exerts direct control over recruitment, grading, and placement of students from this program.
- The university has a long-standing relationship with the Russian military, conducting significant research and development for the Ministry of Defence.
- The program aims to prepare students for 'hybrid' warfare, including cyber-attacks and influence operations.