Russia Suspected In Major Cyberattack On U.S. Treasury, Commerce Departments

Russian hackers working for the Kremlin are believed to be behind an attack into U.S. government computer systems at the departments of Treasury and Commerce that may have lasted months before it was detected, according to U.S. officials and media reports.

The hackers reportedly broke into the email systems at those two government departments, but the full extent of the breach was not immediately clear as U.S. officials scrambled to make an assessment. There are concerns that hackers may have penetrated other government departments and perhaps many private companies as well.

The Commerce Department, the National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security all acknowledged the intrusion in brief statements but provided no details.