The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been charged under computer crime laws with computer sabotage, data alternation, and data espionage. Prosecutors claim that the cost of Rosneft Deutschland shutting down its IT systems and the subsequent forensic investigation cost it approximately €9.76 million (around $11.39 million), with subsequent additional losses of roughly €2.6 million (over $3 million).
The German government took control of Rosneft's German subsidiaries in September 2022 as a result of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
Although Anonymous declared its motivation for attacking Rosneft was its close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, and the company's efforts at the time to evade sanctions, the threat of a cyberattack is clearly something which should be a concern for all businesses in the energy sector.
Energy infrastructure is a prized target for attackers seeking to have an economic or political impact.
In the past, hackers have successfully managed to disrupt power supplies across parts of Ukraine on numerous occasions, targeted a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia, and caused 5,500 mile oil pipeline to be shut down.
It is clear that all organisations, and in particular, those considered critical national infrastructure - would be wise to take the threat of cyberattack seriously.
