The US Information Security Agency (CISA) issued an urgent directive to all federal institutions to cut off electrical power to all Solar Windows computers, against the background of information confirming the occurrence of a large-scale hacking and piracy campaign.
The Wall Street Journal said that computer systems in a large number of US government agencies have been exposed to breaches, which are believed to be part of a cyber espionage campaign behind the Russian intelligence.
The newspaper added that the pirates planted an electronic virus on one of the computers of the Solar Windows company, which specializes in network management.
The Russian embassy in Washington denounced the inclusion of Moscow on accusations of piracy of US government websites.
Among the company's clients are highly sensitive federal departments such as the Secret Service in charge of protecting the US president, the Department of Defense (DOD) (the Pentagon), the Federal Reserve Bank, and Lockheed Martin for the military industries, And the National Security Agency (NSA).
High level attack
The American "Fox News" channel said that the White House confirmed that the Treasury Department (USDT) had been subjected to a high-level cyber attack supported by a foreign government. The Washington Post reported that hackers belonging to the Russian government They are responsible for the attack on the Treasury and Commerce Ministries and government agencies.
Reuters quoted an informed source that the cyber attack was so serious that it prompted members of the US National Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday at the White House, and the agency quoted council spokesman John Oliot as saying that the government was taking the necessary steps to address the issue.
The "Washington Post" added that the hackers succeeded in gaining access to internal e-mails in the Treasury Department and a federal agency responsible for determining Internet and communications policy, while the FBI is investigating the operation, which the newspaper said its executors were working for Russian foreign intelligence.
The newspaper stated that this group is also responsible for a cyber attack that the State Department and the White House suffered during the era of former President Barack Obama, and the newspaper pointed to a group called "APT29", which is also behind the attacks that targeted the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 Hillary Clinton.
Targeting a number of institutions
Reuters reported, citing 3 informed sources, that there are fears within the intelligence services that the hackers who targeted the Treasury and the National Communications and Information Administration at the Ministry of Commerce used a similar tool to infiltrate other government agencies.
A source familiar with - who requested anonymity - said that the hackers were "very sophisticated" and were able to deceive Microsoft's verification controls.
The full extent of the breach remains unclear.
The three sources familiar with the matter said that the investigation is still in its early stages, and a group of federal agencies are participating, including the FBI.
The American company, FireEye, for cybersecurity, admitted last Tuesday that it was exposed to a very complex piracy, which suspects a foreign government standing behind it.