A White House computer network has been breached by hackers, it
has been reported.
The unclassified Executive Office of the President network was
attacked, according to the Washington Post.
US authorities are reported to be investigating the breach, which
was reported to officials by an ally of the US, sources said.
White House officials believe the attack was state-sponsored but
are not saying what – if any – data was taken.
So who is behind the White House breach? The government is keeping
quiet on that front and is also refusing to comment on how much data
was stolen.
However, the Washington Post indicates that the Russian government
may be behind the White House breach, a theory based on recent
cyberespionage campaigns carried out by Russian hackers, which are
believed to be tied to the Russian government. The sources seem to
agree, saying that the White House breach is similar to a
“state-sponsored campaign.”
This wouldn’t be the first time the Russian intelligence service
was accused of breaking into a U.S. government network. The Russian
government supposedly broke into the U.S. military’s classified
networks back in 2008. This led to the formation of the U.S. Cyber
Command, which is now dedicated to defending critical computer
systems located in the government and the private sector.
What’s disturbing here is that an ally of the United States
informed the government of the White House breach. Even though the
hack supposedly took place on the unclassified network, it’s still
unnerving to think that the White House security didn’t detect a
thing. The White House may need to re-evaluate its cyber defense
system.
Tomshardware.com