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Headline Roundup December 15th, 2020

Russian Hackers Suspected in Broad Attack on US Government, Businesses

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Russian hackers are suspected in a months-long cyberattack on U.S. government institutions. The Treasury and Commerce Departments, the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institutes of Health all reportedly suffered breaches, as did various businesses and corporations. Hackers maliciously manipulated technology from software provider SolarWinds Inc. to gain access to computer systems, according to a public Securities and Exchange Commission filing from the company. The story received more prominent coverage from left- and center-rated outlets than from right-rated outlets. Reports focused on the details of U.S. investigations into the hack, potential consequences for U.S. companies and government agencies, and supply chain issues that may have enabled the hack.

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What We Know About the Cyberattack on the U.S. Treasury
What We Know About the Cyberattack on the U.S. Treasury

Townhall

News

The White House acknowledged reports on Sunday that the U.S. Department of Treasury was hacked by a foreign government. According to the reports, the cyberattack was also carried out on the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Informations Administration (NTIA) and prompted an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.

"The United States government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation," John Ullyot, a National Security Council spokesman said in a statement.

For months, hackers...

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Hack of Federal Agencies Shows Cyber Dangers to Supply Chains
News

A suspected Russian hack that is rippling across federal agencies and U.S. businesses highlights the far-reaching impacts of attacks on supply chains.

Customers of the software provider SolarWinds Inc. began unknowingly installing malware this spring through seemingly routine updates to a network-management tool, the company reported in a regulatory filing Monday. The updates included a weak point created by attackers and could have exposed nearly 18,000 of the Austin, Texas, company’s 300,000 customers.

While the fallout remains unclear, the monthslong campaign by the hackers underscores the complexities of vetting and...

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Government and industry reeling after Russian hackers pierce internal networks
News

WASHINGTON — The discovery this weekend that Russian hackers used sophisticated techniques to infiltrate a broad swath of government and corporate networks to steal sensitive information sent cybersecurity experts into a panic, leaving open the question of how the U.S. will respond.

The attribution was made on Sunday, according to one source familiar with the matter, who said the spy group responsible for the breach is known to the military and intelligence community. U.S. Cyber Command, the military combatant command charged with pursuing U.S. enemies in cyberspace, is closely involved...

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