Carter: Russian hackers hacked Pentagon's network
The Pentagon says that one of its networks was hacked by Russian hackers earlier this year, calling the breach “worrisome”.
“Earlier this year, the sensors that guard DOD’s unclassified networks detected Russian hackers accessing one of our networks,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during a speech at Stanford University on Thursday.
Carter warned Russia that the US Defense Department will resort to cyber weaponry if it deems necessary.
"Adversaries should know that our preference for deterrence and our defensive posture don't diminish our willingness to use cyber options if necessary," Carter said in prepared remarks.
He said that the Russian hackers managed to access an “unclassified network” but added that the hackers were “quickly identified” by a team of incident responders who thwarted the intrusion “within 24 hours".
The US team analyzed "their network activity, associated it with Russia, and then quickly kicked them off the network,” Carter added.
On April 7, CNN reported that the White House and the State Department had been attacked by Russian hackers.
According to CNN, US officials claimed that Russian hackers attempted to “penetrate sensitive parts of the White House computer system”.
The hackers gained access to “sensitive information such as real-time non-public details of the president's schedule,” the report added.
The investigators claimed the hacking of the White House had been carried out through an initial breach of the State Department.
According to one official, the State Department system had been "owned" by the hackers for months and it was yet not clear if the attack had ended.
The hackers initially took over a State Department email account, through which they sent a “phishing email” to begin intrusion into the White House, according to the US officials.
Back in February, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate hearing that the "Russian cyber threat is more severe than we have previously assessed".
Last year, federal authorities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, charged the Russian national, also known as “lucky12345” and “slavik”, with multiple counts including conspiracy, computer hacking, bank fraud, and money laundering.
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