It was reported yesterday evening that there has been a very serious breach by Russian hackers at both the US Treasury and Commerce departments. The hackers are believed to have spied on the US for months. The breach was so serious the National Security Council held an emergency meeting on Saturday:
FOX BUSINESS – The U.S. government has acknowledged reports that hackers backed by a foreign government have breached the U.S. Treasury Department and an agency within the Commerce Department.
“The United States government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation,” National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told FOX Business in a statement.
According to Reuters, the elaborate cyber hack was launched on the Treasury Department as well as the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, a U.S. agency that is tasked with crafting internet and telecommunications policy. Sources told the outlet that the hack was so serious it led to a National Security Council meeting on Saturday.
Hackers reportedly used the organization’s Microsoft Office 365 platform to monitor staff members emails for months.
A Treasury Deparment spokesperson deferred comment to the NSC. A spokesperson for the Commerce Department confirmed the breach, adding that it has “asked CISA and the FBI to investigate” but declining to comment any further. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment to FOX Business.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, said in a statement that the agency has been working closely with its partners regarding “recently discovered activity on government networks.”
“CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises,” the spokesperson added.
An FBI spokesperson said it can “neither confirm nor deny details related to any ongoing investigation,” citing the agency’s standard practice.
Catherine Herridge goes into even more details on how the hack occurred through a malware attack:
#CyberSecurity #New The @FBI + @DHSgov have been asked to investigate a computer hack on several U.S. government agencies.
The spying campaign, believed to be backed by the Russian government, went on for months.@CBS_Herridge reports @CBSThisMorning pic.twitter.com/OfJFFejA7G— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) December 14, 2020
The malware was embedded in software used by major companies and the military. Herridge points out that this hacking team, called ‘Cozy Bear’, is the same group that infiltrated the DNC back in 2016.