Speaking at a private dinner for tech security executives at the St Regis Hotel in San Francisco in late February, America’s cyber defense chief boasted how well his organizations protect the country from spies.
US teams were understanding the adÂversary better than the adversary understands themselves, a said General Paul Nakasone, boss of the National Security Agency (NSA) and US Cyber Command, according to a Reuters reporter present at the February 26 dinner. His speech has not been previously reported.
Yet even as he spoke, hackers were embedding malicious code into the network of a Texas software company called SolarWinds Corp, according to a timeline published by Microsoft and more than a dozen government and corporate cyber researchers.
A little over three weeks after that dinner, the hackers began a sweeping intelligence operation that has penetrated the heart of America’s government and numerous corporations and other institutions around the world.
The results of that operation came to light on December 13, when Reuters reported that suspected Russian hackers had gained access to US Treasury and Commerce Department emails. Since then, officials and researchers say they believe at least half-a-dozen US government agencies have been infiltrated and thousands of companies infected with malware in what appears to be one of the biggest such hacks ever uncovered.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday Russia was behind the attack, calling it a grave risk to the United States. Russia has denied involvement.
Revelations of the attack come at a vulnerable time as the US government grapples with a contentious presidential transition and a spiraling public health crisis. And it reflects a new level of sophistication and scale, hitting numerous federal agencies and threatening to inflict far more damage to public trust in America’s cybersecurity infrastructure than previous acts of digital espionage.
Much remains unknown — including the motive or ultimate target.
Seven government officials have told Reuters they are largely in the dark about what information might have been stolen or manipulated — or what it will take to undo the damage. The last known breach of US federal systems by suspected Russian intelligence — when hackers gained access to the unclassified email systems at the White House, the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2014 and 2015 — took years to unwind.
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
