US Probes Network Hacks of Government Agencies
Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye, testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee March 30, 2017 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on the topic of "Disinformation: A Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence Campaigns." Win McNamee/Getty Images

Some U.S. federal agencies, including the Treasury and Commerce departments, have fallen victim to a cyber attack.

Federal officials said Sunday they are now working to identify the breach's wideness and fix the problem.

According to an Associated Press report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity unit investigate what appeared to be a large-scale penetration of the country's government agencies.

People familiar with the matter claimed that the Russian government hackers are behind the hacking of the federal agencies' networks, as reported by The Washington Post.

Many experts also suspect Russia is responsible for the cyber attack against FireEye, a major cybersecurity firm whose customers' portfolio also includes federal, state, and local governments.

Top global corporations are also procuring the services of the said cybersecurity firm. However, it was reported that there was no clear connection between the attacks. It was also unclear if Russia is responsible for the Treasury Department's attack.

National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said the government is taking the needed steps to identify and remedy any issues regarding the incident.

The country's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said it has already been working with other agencies about the matter.

"CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises," the agency said in an AP report.

Last month, President Donald Trump fired Chris Krebs, the director of CISA. This was after Krebs vouched for the integrity of the presidential election and disputed Trump's claims of rampant election fraud.

Russian Hackers

In 2014, hackers linked to Russia were able to invade the Senate department's email system. It had to be cut off from the internet while experts worked on contaminating the infestation.

Meanwhile, the FBI is now investigating the campaign by a hacking group working for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service or the SVR.

All of the organizations' network management system called Solar Winds were breached, according to The Post's sources.

The sources familiar with the matter spoke on condition of anonymity due to the issue's sensitivity.

It was still unknown what information was accessed from the government agencies. An emergency National Security Council meeting was called due to the seriousness of the matter.

APT29 or Cozy Bear was also reported to be linked to attempts to steal the COVID-19 vaccine research. APT29 was known to hack the Senate Department and the White House during former president Barack Obama's term.

Last Tuesday, FireEye said that the foreign government hackers have capabilities to break its network and stealing offensive tools it uses to investigate the defenses of its thousands of customers.

The top cybersecurity firm's CEO, Kevin Mandia, said that the hackers mainly sought information related to specific government customers. Mandia, however, did not name those customers involved.

The cybersecurity agency also helped Saudi Arabia prevent an oil industry cyberattack. It also worked on Sony and Equifax data breaches.

The firm has also played an essential role in determining Russia as the main one in numerous aggressions in the global digital conflict.