Devastating Cyber Attack Against U.S. Government Puts You At Risk

Multiple U.S. entities have been hit by a cyberattack suspected to originate from Russia. Sensitive information and confidential federal government data may have been exploited.

Federal agencies such as the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, parts of the Pentagon as well as other Fortune 500 companies and major corporations may be compromised due to the hack. At a time when data protection is more important than ever, the United States was unable to detect the data breach until weeks had gone by. Officials were only alerted after FireEye, a cybersecurity firm, had confirmed it had been the victim of a nation state attack.

According to The New York Times, about 18,000 private and government users downloaded a malicious software update that gave hackers a foothold into victims’ systems. The suspected primary motive for the attack is information on our own hacking capabilities and defenses, according to USA Today. Many agencies have lost the ability to monitor their own networks as the affected software company shuts down to prevent further intrusions.

While authorities are investigating the scope of data compromised, it is safe to assume the hackers had access to personal information from many American citizens. Federal groups often have a plethora of data on people, and it’s still unclear how deep the compromised data goes. To mitigate your individual risk, it’s time to take concrete steps to protect yourself.

Any passwords used for government sites like Social Security, IRS, etc. should be changed immediately and often hereafter. Keep an eye out for suspicious emails, utilize multi-factor authentication where you can, and make sure to monitor your finances closely.

It’s important to realize that anyone, anywhere, anytime, can be a victim of a cyber security incident. By doing your due diligence to safeguard your personal information, you’ll run less risk of having your data compromised in a similar situation.

If you’re looking to get more information about Managed Security Services, check out our sheet below. To contact SkyPort IT today, call 585-582-1600 or visit our contact page.
Who’s Got Your Data?

Written by Emily M.