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A SPANISH professor, who was once considered an expert on extremism and terrorism, is now branded as a “cyberterrorist” and listed on Europe’s list of the “most wanted”.
Enrique Arias Gil is a 37-year old professor from Madrid who has been identified by the National Police as a key figure in NoName057, a hacking group that supports Russia.
Europol has added his picture to its database of international fugitives. He is wanted for terrorist computer crimes, glorifying terror, and membership in a criminal organization.
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Investigators claim that Arias Gil (also known as “Desinformador Ruso”) used his academic credentials, and his public appearances in Spanish-language media, to conceal his true role: supporting Moscow’s most aggressive hacking group.
He ran a Telegram Channel of the same title that had more than 11,000 subscribers.
Authorities have accused him of passing on sensitive information about Spain’s critical infrastructure to Russian hackers and helping them launch hundreds of attacks.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022, NoName057 is one of the Kremlin’s most active cyber armies. Spain is a top target.
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The group has launched 500+ attacks against Spanish institutions. On election day, July 2023, it attempted to take down the websites for the Interior Ministry, Moncloa and Correos.
This group also attacked regional parliaments, news outlets, and transportation systems. The group is known for its coordinated “denial-of-service” attacks. They flood websites with traffic in order to take them down.
Arias Gil, despite his academic accomplishments, which include a PhD in International Security and multiple master’s degree, as well as publications in reputable institutes, allegedly used his expertise in order to strengthen pro Russian operations.
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According to police sources, he’s currently hiding out in Russia. The Spanish National Court’s Judge Francisco de Jorge has issued a warrant for his arrest, but Moscow’s cooperation is unlikely.
Arias’s Gil is being sought after the July massive “Operation Eastwood,” an Europol-led crackdown that involved 19 countries. This operation destroyed much of NoName057’s infrastructure and shut down more than 100 servers.
Spanish authorities warn, however, that cyber-threats remain significant.
Arias Gil being included on Europol’s most wanted list highlights the magnitude of the threat posed by state-linked hackers, as well as the unsettling fact that a respected Professor turned out to be their leading operative.
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