Microsoft alerts the world as it claims to be the victim of the recent SolarWinds hack presumably by the Russian-backed hacker group. Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, said that this attack provides a moment of reckoning. With the year coming to an end, the final weeks have become more challenging due to the nation-wide cyber-attack shaking the strong security foundation of the United States. Brad further said that the recent threat shows how the cybersecurity landscape is changing and becoming more dangerous for the world. The latest cyber assault has effective both the government of the United States and many companies in the tech sector.
Possessing a threat to Microsoft
Since the software of SolarWinds is used by many customers around the globe, the victim list is increasing every day. Microsoft has also announced that its system was exposed to the hack though the degree of casualties is not mentioned. Smith further mentioned that the act has created a serious technical vulnerability for the U.S. and it was done deliberately to advance a nation’s intelligence agency. Though Smith didn’t accuse the Russians explicitly but put clear hints and remarks.
In the blog post by Brad Smith, he has shown a map illustrating the geographical density of the customers affected by the SolarWinds software. The map has used telemetry from Microsoft’s Defender Anti-virus software to elaborate the effects of the hack. It shows the audience that the victims are scattered around the globe but the U.S. is the most affected nation. According to Microsoft, 80% of the affected customers are located in the U.S. and other victims are spotted in Canada, UK, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Israel, and UAE.
The SolarWinds hack
The past week newspapers have been crawling with the news of a nationwide cyber attack first spotted by the security firm FireEye. The hackers inserted the malware into the network management software used by customers around the globe. SolarWinds is the company that sells this product to the other giant tech companies and the malware was spotted when FireEye updated the software.
When investigating the attack, traces were found that several U.S. government agencies have also been compromised. When SolarWinds reported the attack, around 17,000 customers already downloaded the compromised update. After announcing the cyber attack, Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye said that “we are witnessing an attack by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities.” Currently, the FBI and Homeland Security are investigating the matter.
Ongoing investigation
The hackers have attacked several sectors of government from the Navy to the U.S. military along with the major companies of fortune 500. So, the investigators have to track digital footprints for all the sectors separately. On Wednesday, there was a joint statement regarding the whole-of-government-response issued by the FBI (The Federal Bureau of Investigation), CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), and ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence).
Microsoft has introduced blocking versions of SolarWinds Orion that contained the malware. Microsoft along with other tech companies has seized the control of a domain responsible for the SolarWinds breach. SolarWinds has decided not to reveal the names of the Fortune 500 companies that are affected by the breach. It will help both SolarWinds and the companies from avoiding negative publicity. And, Microsoft has urged to take stronger steps against cyber-attacks for both government and private level.
A challenging year
This year started with the global pandemic, shaking the entire social and economical wellbeing of every citizen around the world. On top of this, cyber-attacks have proven to use more novel techniques for stealing sensitive information and destroying the moral foundations of any nation. This year has also witnessed the attacks on several research institutes and companies researching COVID-19 vaccines. In March, cyberattacks increased rapidly on both private and public health networks targeting from local government to the World Health Organization.
According to Microsoft, the company has spotted three nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies involved in the treatment of COVID-19. Amidst a global crisis, such cyber assaults are very daunting for any nation and its people. A government is supposed to protect the nation’s people, and if the government itself is under attack, soon there will big chaos.
Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more