The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was breached on Monday as part of an attack on U.S. federal agencies which many speculate to be done by Russian hackers.
Alexei Woltornist, DHS spokesperson, said that they have not directly confirmed the breach, but Woltornist told The Hill that “the Department of Homeland Security is aware of reports of a breach” and that they “are currently investigating the matter.” Those who are involved in the matter have reported that the attackers are thought to be associated with the Russian government, with the Russian military hacking group “Cozy Bear” being thought to be behind the attacks.
During the widespread attacks, the hackers took advantage of a vulnerability in the IT vendor SolarWind’s software. This lead to the attackers being able to breach multiple federal agencies, including a number of American Fortune 500 companies.
