- US cyber agencies say Russian government-backed hackers used Microsoft access to steal emails between government officials and tech giants.
- Before warning that government agencies were being targeted for using stolen Microsoft emails, the company announced in March that it was still fighting intruders.
- The Russian Embassy in Washington has in the past denied being behind the hacking, but has not explicitly commented on it in the press.
Using the authentication information shared by email to invade
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has claimed Russian government-backed hackers used their access to Microsoft to break into email systems to steal communications between officials and the tech giant. The allegation was revealed in an emergency directive released by U.S. regulators Thursday.
In the April 2 directive, the agency warned that hackers were using authentication details shared via email to try to break into Microsoft customer systems, including those of an unknown number of government agencies.
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Cybersecurity industry is sounding the alarm
Before warning that government agencies were being targeted for using stolen Microsoft emails, the company announced in March that it was still fighting the intruders, which the company nicknamed the “Midnight Blizzard.”
The disclosure sent alarm bells across the cybersecurity industry, and just last week the U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board released a report saying another hack – blamed on China – was preventable, accusing the company of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and a deliberate lack of transparency.
CISA declined to name the institutions that could be affected. Microsoft said in an email that it is “working with our customers to help them with their investigation and mitigation.” This includes working with CISA to develop emergency directives that provide guidance to government agencies. The Russian Embassy in Washington, which has in the past denied being behind the hacking, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
CISA warned that hackers may have also targeted NGOs. “Other organizations may also be affected by the Microsoft corporate email breach,” CISA said, encouraging customers to contact Microsoft for more details.
