By — Ben Fox, Associated Press Ben Fox, Associated Press Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-cybersecurity-agency-warns-of-grave-threat-from-global-hack Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. cybersecurity agency warns of ‘grave’ threat from global hack Politics Dec 17, 2020 3:07 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities expressed increased alarm Thursday about an intrusion into computer systems around the globe that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers, with the nation’s civilian cybersecurity agency warning that it poses a “grave” risk to government and private networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in its most detailed comments yet that the intrusion has compromised government agencies as well as “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo. CISA did not say which agencies or infrastructure were breached or what information taken in an attack that it previously said appeared to have begun in March. “This threat actor has demonstrated sophistication and complex tradecraft in these intrusions,” the agency said in an unusual alert. “CISA expects that removing the threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging.” The agency previously said that the perpetrators had used network management software from Texas-based SolarWinds t o infiltrate computer networks. Its new alert said the attackers may have used other methods as well. A U.S. official previously told The Associated Press that Russia-based hackers are suspected, but neither CISA nor the FBI has publicly said who is believed be responsible. Asked whether Russia was behind the attack, the official said: “We believe so. We haven’t said that publicly yet because it isn’t 100% confirmed.” Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed. By — Ben Fox, Associated Press Ben Fox, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities expressed increased alarm Thursday about an intrusion into computer systems around the globe that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers, with the nation’s civilian cybersecurity agency warning that it poses a “grave” risk to government and private networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in its most detailed comments yet that the intrusion has compromised government agencies as well as “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo. CISA did not say which agencies or infrastructure were breached or what information taken in an attack that it previously said appeared to have begun in March. “This threat actor has demonstrated sophistication and complex tradecraft in these intrusions,” the agency said in an unusual alert. “CISA expects that removing the threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging.” The agency previously said that the perpetrators had used network management software from Texas-based SolarWinds t o infiltrate computer networks. Its new alert said the attackers may have used other methods as well. A U.S. official previously told The Associated Press that Russia-based hackers are suspected, but neither CISA nor the FBI has publicly said who is believed be responsible. Asked whether Russia was behind the attack, the official said: “We believe so. We haven’t said that publicly yet because it isn’t 100% confirmed.” Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed.