Over the Next 3 Weeks, Russian Government Network Attacks
Russia Claims "The US Commits International Cyber Crimes"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. government has announced large-scale retaliatory hacking against Russia, which is known to have carried out cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies last December. In response, Russia immediately protested, raising concerns that cyber warfare between the two countries could escalate.
According to TASS news agency on the 9th (local time), Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated, "We are very concerned about some media reports that the U.S. will carry out hacking attacks against us," adding, "This is the U.S. committing international cybercrime."
He continued, "Our government cannot at all acknowledge the recent U.S. claims that Russia is behind hacking attacks against them," and added, "Our government does not conduct cyberattacks against the international community."
Earlier, in December last year, the U.S. suffered a large-scale hacking attack from foreign forces, exposing over 18,000 domestic institutions to threats. The hacking attack was reportedly carried out by exploiting vulnerabilities in a type of network software called 'SolarWinds,' and many government departments and companies using this software?including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Microsoft, and Intel?were affected.
Subsequently, intelligence agencies pointed to the Russian government as behind the hacking attack, and the U.S. government announced it would retaliate against Russia. The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 7th that "the U.S. government is expected to carry out retaliatory hacking against the Russian government over the next three weeks," adding, "Networks linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his intelligence agencies will be the main targets."
NYT also reported, citing sources, that economic sanctions will be implemented alongside these retaliatory hacking attacks. Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, stated on the 4th, "We will pursue various measures to induce strategic consultations with the Russian government to prevent future hacking attacks."
Additionally, on the 7th, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that over 60,000 U.S. companies and government agencies were subjected to cyberattacks exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft's email servers. The hacker group 'Hafnium,' reportedly backed by the Chinese government, was identified as the perpetrator, and it is known that they carried out these hacks to steal information from targeted companies and institutions. In response, the U.S. National Security Council issued a statement saying, "This hacking attack is also very serious," and "We are deliberating on government-level responses."
Meanwhile, the Joe Biden administration has declared cybersecurity a core agenda item, led by the security team headed by Sullivan, and pledged to enhance national cybersecurity capabilities. NYT stated, "How the U.S. government responds to hacking attacks from external forces in the future will serve as a measure of the U.S.'s cyber warfare response capabilities."
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