Global Courant
Russian cybercriminals reportedly launched a global cyberattack exploiting several US federal government agencies and higher education institutions, including the University System of Georgia and the University of Georgia.
The attack used MOVEit Secure File Transfer and Automation software, which is used to securely share sensitive data files.
US government agencies and several hundred US companies and organizations could be affected by the hacking, a US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official told reporters Thursday.
Clop is the ransomware syndicate believed to be responsible for the cyberattack. Last week, the group posted a message on the dark web urging victims to get in touch and negotiate a ransom or risk sensitive data leaking online, though cybersecurity experts say the Clop criminals cannot be trusted are to keep their word. The gang claimed it would delete all data stolen from governments, cities and police departments, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
US GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS HIT BY CYBER ATTACK
The University System of Georgia and the University of Georgia are said to be victims of the global cyber attack. (University of Georgia)
Victims include the United States Department of Energy, the University System of Georgia, the University of Georgia, Johns Hopkins University and its health system, Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon’s Department of Transportation, the Nova Scotia provincial government, British Airways and the British Broadcasting Company.
The Department of Energy said in a statement to Global Courant it was taking “immediate steps” to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack after being made aware that two departments’ data had been compromised. The department said it has notified Congress and is working with law enforcement, CISA and affected entities to investigate the incident.
A University System of Georgia spokesperson told Fox 5 Atlanta that she and the University of Georgia purchased the MOVEit software to store and transfer sensitive data, and that the institutions are investigating the possible hack.
The Department of Energy said it has taken “immediate steps” to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack. (Getty)
Progress Software recently identified a zero-day defect in its MOVEit software, a vulnerability that likely allowed cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to information stored in the secure MOVEit repositories operating at numerous customer locations, including USG and the University. of Georgia,” the spokesman said.
USG employees quickly restricted Internet access to the software and applied a patch to fix the code after learning of the attack. University officials said they are actively monitoring the situation and will evaluate the “severity of this potential data exposure.”
RUSSIAN MALWARE COMPROMISES ENERGY DEPARTMENT, OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
Johns Hopkins University is one of the victims of the cyber attack by Russian cybercriminals. ((Photo by JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images).)
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In a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, USG said it is “actively monitoring further communications from Progress Software and will adhere to any future recommendations. USG’s cybersecurity experts are evaluating the extent and severity of this potential data exposure. If necessary, in consistent with federal and state law, notices will be provided to all affected individuals.”
Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System confirmed in a statement that their “initial investigation suggests that the data breach may have impacted sensitive personal and financial information (including names, contact information, and health billing information).”
