Russia directing hackers to attack UK and west, says director of GCHQ

Anne Keast-Butler ‘increasingly concerned’ by growing links between Russia and proxy hacker groups that pose risk to UK

Russia is increasingly seeking to encourage and direct hackers to attack British and other western targets, the director of GCHQ has said in her first keynote speech as head of the British intelligence agency.

Anne Keast-Butler, said her agency was “increasingly concerned about growing links” between the Russian intelligence services and proxy hacker groups who have long taken advantage of a permissive environment within the country.