Highly professional pirates .. US website: The cyber attack targeted the nuclear arsenal of the United States

Politico reported, according to US officials, that the National Nuclear Security Administration was breached during the recent cyber attacks, and that there is evidence that the hackers penetrated the networks of the administration responsible for the nuclear arsenal, with the aim of espionage.

The website said that officials in the Ministry of Energy were planning today to notify the relevant committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate of the occurrence of the breach, and the ministry confirmed that the national security functions of the National Nuclear Security Administration were not affected by the cyber attack.

In turn, Bloomberg reported that the cyber attack affected at least 3 US states, along with government agencies.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency - which is part of the US Department of Homeland Security - confirmed on Thursday that US government agencies and vital infrastructure entities have been at risk of being hacked by hackers since at least last March, stressing that the hackers "have shown patience and operational security." Complicated craftsmanship in these breakthroughs. "

The security agency issued orders to government agencies to separate their devices from the "Solar Windows" program, which is believed to have been compromised, and used by many government agencies and private companies in the United States.

The Politico magazine website also quoted US officials as saying that the hackers had done more damage to the Federal Energy Regulatory Authority than other agencies.

The Cybersecurity Agency reported that American institutions have been hacked by hackers since last March (Reuters)

Open an investigation

In this regard, the Oversight and Homeland Security Committees in the US House of Representatives announced yesterday, Thursday, that an investigation will be opened into the cyber attack on government agencies.

The New York Times reported that investigators believe that it will take months to reveal the extent of US networks affected by the piracy process, adding: "The hackers used attack methods that pose a serious threat to the federal government."

According to the newspaper, federal officials issued an urgent warning that the hackers of government systems used different techniques, adding that the methods used in the piracy indicated a "skilled opponent" willing to spend large resources to keep his secret.

The hack was announced for the first time by the American cybersecurity firm, FireEye, which informed US intelligence agencies of a major security breach that appears to be implemented by a government agency, targeting "government agents."

The Intelligence Committee in the US House of Representatives confirmed - on Wednesday - that it had received a briefing on the hacking from US intelligence agencies, and the chair of the committee and Congressman Adam Schiff said - in a statement - that the gravity and duration of this attack shows that we still have great and urgent work to defend our information and networks The mission, and we have to move faster than our opponents are doing to adapt to this. "

Biden considered this attack a great concern and pledged to punish the parties involved in the breach (Reuters)

Top priority

For his part, US President-elect Joe Biden said yesterday, Thursday, that "there is a lot that we do not know about the cyber attack that targeted US companies and state and federal agencies," but considered that "what we know about this attack constitutes a great concern," and pledged to punish the parties involved. In penetration.

Biden said - in a statement issued by his transition team - that his administration will make cybersecurity a top priority at all levels of government, and will make dealing with this violation a top priority as soon as he takes office on January 20.

He added that his administration will advance cybersecurity as an imperative, stressing the importance of not being satisfied with defense, and the need to disrupt Washington's opponents and deter them from launching major cyber attacks in the first place.

He also stressed that his administration will impose heavy costs on those responsible for such harmful attacks, in coordination with the allies and partners of the United States, saying, "The opponents of the United States must know that I, as president, will not stand idly by in the face of cyber attacks targeting the country."

Informed sources revealed this week that hackers believed to be working for Russia have spied on internal emails in the US Treasury and Trade departments, the federal agency and private companies, and that there are fears that the infiltration discovered so far is only the tip of the iceberg.

However, the spokesman for the Russian presidency (Kremlin) Dmitry Peskov denied the US accusations that his country was behind the recent cyber attacks, and said that the Americans always point accusations against the Russians in all actions that target them.