CozyDuke

CozyDuke, also known as Cozy Bear or APT29, is a prominent threat actor recognized for its malicious activities against Western government organizations and a variety of industries. The group has successfully infiltrated the unclassified networks of several high-profile entities, including the White House, the State Department, and the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Their targets span across multiple sectors, such as Defense, Energy, Extractive, Financial, Insurance, Legal, Manufacturing Media, Think Tanks, Pharmaceutical, Research and Technology, and Universities. The group's activities were notably observed during the milestone DNC hack event where both Sofacy and CozyDuke were present, with Turla being absent. Despite this, Turla was found to be quietly active around the globe on other projects, hinting at the diverse motivations and ambitions of these threat actors. CozyDuke's operations are not limited to direct attacks; they have also been linked to the creation of sophisticated backdoors, enabling further exploitation of compromised systems. CozyDuke is responsible for several significant attacks, such as those associated with MiniDuke and CosmicDuke. These attacks often involve advanced persistent threats (APTs), which are prolonged and targeted cyberattacks where the attacker gains access to a network and remains undetected for an extended period. The group is known by various other names, including IRON RITUAL, IRON HEMLOCK, NobleBaron, Dark Halo, StellarParticle, NOBELIUM, UNC2452, YTTRIUM, The Dukes, and Cozy Bear, reflecting the complex and multifaceted nature of their operations.