“There has been considerable effort to use third-party software to secretly install malware inside US government systems,” Pompeo said on the radio show. The Mark Levin Show on December 18.
“I think in this case we can say that it was the Russians who were involved in the cyberattack,” Pompeo said.
Before that, the Microsoft corporation said on December 17 that it had informed more than 40 customers of the malware attack. Experts warned that hackers using malware in this cyber attack could gain access and control over government computer systems, power grids and other facilities, according to AFP.
Microsoft president Brad Smith said that around 80% of Microsoft’s customers live in the United States, with the rest being Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In the ongoing large-scale attack in the US and around the world, hackers are believed to have introduced hidden malware into SolarWinds (US) corporate management software.
SolarWinds said that more than 18,000 customers, including government agencies such as the US Department of the Treasury and the US Department of Commerce and several large companies, downloaded software updates that contained malware that allowed hackers to spy on email.
Russian hackers suspected of spying on US agencies
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The Center for Strategic and International Studies, James Lewis, said it could be the worst cyber attack ever faced by the United States.
NSA threat warns
The National Security Administration (NSA) calls for increased vigilance to prevent hackers from accessing key civilian and military systems.
Experts value cyberattacks as a threat to national security because hackers try to infiltrate critical government systems, threatening control of critical infrastructure systems. like the network and other public services.
The United States Agency for Cyber Security and Infrastructure (CISA) said that government agencies, critical infrastructure and private sector organizations in the United States became targets of cyber attacks.
While CISA did not identify who was behind the malware attack, private cybersecurity companies believed that the hackers were linked to the Russian government. CISA says that sophisticated intrusions begin in at least March 2020.
President-elect Joe Biden expressed “concern” over this incident. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, for his part, blamed Russia and at the same time defended what he called an “unforgivable silence” from the White House. However, Russia denied all the charges.