The FBI in March targeted and disabled the command and control communications of a botnet controlled by the infamous Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) hacking team Sandworm, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced today.

The botnet used WatchGuard Technologies and ASUSTek Computer (ASUS) firewalls compromised with the so-called Cyclops Blink malware, which the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) first warned about on Feb. 23. In an FBI-led operation, officials removed Cyclops Blink malware from the compromised firewalls that gave Sandworm potential access to systems within the firewall operators’ networks.