Suspected Russian cyberattack on government agencies growing in scale: Report

Microsoft has warned that the US and seven other countries have come under a suspected Russian cyberattack that has already affected a majority of people in the United States. According to The Guardian, Microsoft has identified as many as 40 customers who were "targeted more precisely and compromised" after hackers gained access earlier this year. These customers included individuals, NGOs, government agencies from countries including the UK, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Israel, Belgium, and Spain.  

While 80 percent of those targeted customers lived in the US, the cyberattack posed a great risk to government and private networks in the affected nations, American authorities warned. As of now, no government-related organisation has been targeted in the UK, with the number of affected individuals remaining minimal. However, a robust investigation into the matter is ongoing.

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How did the attack begin?

Experts are reported to have stated that the hacking attempts were initially made in March when an updated IT network management tool called Orion was compromised. As per reports, thousands of people across American territory installed this compromised tool, many of whom worked in important US federal agencies. Out of these, 40 were chosen for further exploitation including the US Treasury and Department of Commerce, where emails are thought to have been read, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Many experts have warned of the possibility of important state secrets being accessed by hackers. Given that, the US National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the US nuclear weapons stockpile, recently confirmed that its networks have been accessed. An investigation into the matter is on and the FBI is expected to hold a classified briefing on the expansion of the attack for members of US congress later this week.

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