Hacker

Image by Boskampi from Pixabay

Hacker

Image by Boskampi from Pixabay

Top US cybersecurity agency breached by hackers

Image by Boskampi from Pixabay

A top federal agency in charge of cybersecurity was breached by hackers and forced to take two key computer systems offline.

One of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s affected systems runs a program where cyber and physical security assessment tools are shared between federal, state, and local officials, according to reports.

The other affected system holds information security assessment of chemical facilities, sources told CNN.

A CISA spokesperson has said there has been “no operational impact” after the hacking, adding the agency continues to “upgrade and modernize” systems.

READ NEXT: 800lb Alligator seized from man’s home – but thousands are outraged

“This is a reminder that any organization can be affected by a cyber vulnerability and having an incident response plan in place is a necessary component of resilience,” the spokesperson said.

They added the impact from the hack “was limited to two systems, which we immediately took offline.”

CISA investigates cyber intrusions at federal agencies and is part of the Department of Homeland Security. It also advises private firms on security.

It’s not known who was behind the hack, but CISA has urged federal agencies and firms to update software. It’s believed it took place through vulnerabilities in popular private networking software created by Ivanti, an IT firm based in Utah.

The agency has also advised companies to take other defensive measures against the exploitation of Ivanti vulnerabilities by hackers.

READ NEXT: Zookeeper dresses up as a white tiger in bizarre animal training drill

Comments are closed.