Page 14 - Issue-27

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Holi da y Rul es
Holi da y Rul es

Hana Zakaria A bdel A al A li , 3rd level , Economics
THE BIG HACK !

Immense amount of data from diverse US federal institutions hacked

By the end of 2020, COVID-19 is not alone what threatens
other than the Orion Solar Windows platform." This is what
the security of the United States of America. On Friday,
Shailyn Haynes, a spokeswoman for the US Department of
12/18/2020, some American officials announced that a
Energy, confirmed in a press statement on Friday, saying,
number of agencies of the US Department of Energy,
"The business networks of the National Nuclear Security
including those related to the stockpile of nuclear weapons,
Administration have been affected by the penetration of one
had been breached as part of an expanded attack by a hacker
of the software of the American company (Solar Windows),
group that had electronic access to more than ten US federal
which supervises the network architecture in the government
agencies. According to "New York Times", that the attack is
and private companies. "
one of the most complex breaches and perhaps the largest in
It also indicated that the Ministry is working on a rapid and
more than five years.
deterrent response to the electronic incident in coordination
The attack targeted several government agencies and
with its partners in the federal government and companies,
departments that reported breaches of their electronic
and that the investigation is taking place in conjunction with
networks, including the Federal Commission for Energy
efforts to confront the attack, cordon off its effects and
Regulation in addition to a number of national laboratories
isolate the penetrating devices, noting that the accident did
and some departments of the Ministry of Transport. The
not harm the main work of the National Nuclear Security
cyber breach also affected a number of the most prominent
Administration. This is what the Ministry confirmed, saying
US government institutions, including the Ministries of
that the security of the nuclear arsenal was not threatened.
Foreign Affairs, Treasury, Homeland Security, and Trade.
She also added that the security functions of the National
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversee
indicated that the perpetrators were able to penetrate
US nuclear weapons, have not been affected. However, she
computer networks using a network management program
said, "the malware only focused on business networks."
made by “Solar Windows ”, an information technology
The spokesman for the US National Security Council, John
company based in Texas, USA. And this is what is
Elliott, had confirmed in a statement in the "Freedom"
considered a dangerous matter, as these perpetrators were
newspaper that the President's National Security Adviser,
able to exploit networks that are originally American against
Robert O'Brien, cut short his European tour in order to deal
the United States themselves. All US federal civilian
with the repercussions of the cyber breach, and Elliott made
agencies have been informed of the need to remove "Solar
it clear that O'Brien would participate in meetings about this
Windows" from their devices as a result of this breach. The
issue and that he will hold a meeting at the governmental
US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in
level later this week.
its statement that it is investigating "evidence of additional
breaches,
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