The SolarWinds hack had gained access to emails of the Department of Homeland Security top officials under former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

This also includes emails of the members of DHS's cybersecurity staff.

Meanwhile, the DHS said that the Biden administration is working on closing a dozen action items, which would be included in the executive order to strengthen the government's cybersecurity.

"We continue to work urgently to make the investments necessary, and the administration is working on close to a dozen actions for an upcoming executive order," a senior DHS official was quoted in The Hill report.

Sen. Rob Portman said that the SolarWinds hack was a victory for foreign adversaries, while it shows proof of failure on the part of DHS.

The Biden administration has tried to mute the situation and the scope of the SolarWinds attack while deliberating counterattack measures against Russia.

However, new details about the breach showed that aside from DHS, other agencies such as the Energy Department were also breached. Hackers also accessed top officials' schedules, according to an Associated Press report.

READ MORE: FBI Gets Involved as Russian Cyberhackers Suspected Behind High-Risk U.S. Government Hack

Cybersecurity Issues

Officials discovered in December a sprawling cyberespionage done largely through a hack of a widely used software from Texas-based SolarWinds Inc.

At the time, at least nine federal agencies were hacked, with dozens of private-sector companies.

U.S. officials said that the breach might have been a work of Russian workers. Leading the Pentagon's cyberforce, Gen. Paul Nakasone, said that the Biden administration is eyeing a range of options in response.

However, Russia has denied the allegations of cyberattack.

Brandon Wales, who leads the cybersecurity agency, said during a recent House committee hearing that the U.S. must raise their game, according to a New York Post report.

Anthony Ferrante, a former director for cyber incident response at the U.S. National Security Council and current senior managing director at FTI Consulting, said that part of the problem is the lack of skilled workforce both in the government and private sector.

The Biden administration has named Anne Neuberger to respond to the SolarWinds and Microsoft breaches. Neuberger is the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emergency technology.

Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Emily Horne said that cybersecurity is a top priority, adding that the administration is reviewing how best to set up the new position.

Series of Hacks

Aside from the alleged Russian attack, revealing emails of DHS's top officials, one hacker tried to poison the water supply of a small town in Florida in February.

The hacker was unsuccessful.

The hacker breached the system controlling the water supply plant and tried to taint the water supply with a chemical, according to another A.P. report.

A supervisor saw the chemical being tampered with when a mouse controlled by the intruder moved across the screen, changing settings.

The supervisor immediately intervened and reversed the action, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

He added that the public was never in danger but said that the intruder took the chemical to dangerous levels.

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