U.S. Vows ‘Swift Action’ if Defense Networks Hit by Alleged Russia Hack
The U.S. military’s cyberwarfare branch has promised a quick response if the nation’s defense networks were found to have been infiltrated in a major hack that has rocked the federal government.
As of Monday afternoon, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury have acknowledged that their communications were affected by a yet unidentified perpetrator exploiting a vulnerability in an update to Orion products offered by software company SolarWinds. A third agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is also believed to have been affected, according to Reuters.
The full extent of the breach has yet to be identified, but SolarWinds’ extensive customer list includes a range of other U.S. government agencies, including all five branches of the military. Contacted by Newsweek, the Defense Department’s cyber-focused combatant command said it was prepared to act immediately if its communications were determined to have been impacted.
“U.S. Cyber Command is postured for swift action should any defense networks be compromised,” a spokesperson for the command told Newsweek. “We are in close coordination with our interagency, coalition, industry, and academic partners to assess and mitigate this issue. As is our mission, we will continue to conduct cyberspace operations in defense of our Nation.” (Read more from “U.S. Vows ‘Swift Action’ if Defense Networks Hit by Alleged Russia Hack” HERE)
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