Russia ‘likely’ behind SolarWinds hack: US intelligence
- Top national security agencies confirmed Tuesday that Russia was likely responsible for massive hack of U.S. government departments and corporations
- It rejects President Donald Trump’s claim that China might be to blame
- The rare joint statement represented the U.S. government’s first formal attempt to assign responsibility for the breaches at multiple agencies
- Hacks were intended for ‘intelligence gathering,’ suggesting a Russian spying effort rather than attempt to damage or disrupt U.S. government operations
- The agencies made clear the Russian operation was ‘ongoing’ and indicated the hunt for threats was not over
- It’a not clear why the statement was issued Tuesday as government officials and cybersecurity experts have for weeks believed that Russia was responsible
US intelligence and law enforcement agencies said Tuesday that Russia was probably behind the massive SolarWinds hack that has shaken government and corporate security, contradicting President Donald Trump, who had suggested China could be to blame.
A joint statement by the FBI, Directorate of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency outlined their findings in what experts have called the most devastating break in US computer security in years.
Their investigation ‘indicates that an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks,’ they said.
Trump, who over four years has steadfastly avoided criticizing Moscow, has refused to finger Russia in the hacking case.
‘Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens,’ he tweeted about the hack in December, adding that the media were, ‘for mostly financial reasons, petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!).’
Both Secretary of…
