Just to update you on this story we told you about on Sunday. . .
A foreign government-backed hacking group stole information from @USTreasury & @NTIAgov, & may have hacked other US government agencies, @Reuters reports.
The hack was deemed so serious it led to a National Security Council meeting at the WH on Saturday. https://t.co/ONtQOFiiar
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) December 13, 2020
. . .The White House National Security Council is now calling the hacking of multiple government agencies a “significant cyber incident”:
(1/3) “Pursuant to Presidential Policy Directive-41 (26 July 2016) and its Annex, a Cyber Unified Coordination Group (UCG) has been established to ensure continued unity of effort across the United States Government in response to a significant cyber incident.
— NSC (@WHNSC) December 15, 2020
(2/3) “The UCG process facilitates continuous and comprehensive coordination for whole-of-government efforts to identify, mitigate, remediate, and respond to this incident.
— NSC (@WHNSC) December 15, 2020
(3/3) “The highly-trained and experienced professionals across the government are working diligently on this matter.” – NSC spokesman John Ullyot
— NSC (@WHNSC) December 15, 2020
Multiple media reports are pointing the finger at Russia for the intrusion:
NSC says a Cyber Unified Coordination Group has been established "in response to a significant cyber incident."@CBSNews learned over the weekend that foreign hackers breached several government agencies, including Treasury and Commerce. Russia is believed to be responsible. https://t.co/YmKnDifAnH
— Sara Cook (@saraecook) December 15, 2020
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This NSC statement “confirms” what Politico reported last night:
NSC confirms what I reported last night. https://t.co/CqPCmbnOpM https://t.co/2sYvHtn5fg
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) December 15, 2020
And from that report: “This is probably going to be one of the most consequential cyberattacks in U.S. history”:
A deepening crisis is consuming the federal government as agencies scramble to figure out if they've been hacked.
"This is probably going to be one of the most consequential cyberattacks in U.S. history,” a U.S. official says.https://t.co/YO2GavESyR
— POLITICO (@politico) December 15, 2020
We’ll keep you posted.
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