A report released by cybersecurity firm Secureworks on Wednesday indicates that over 1,000 Russian hackers were involved in the SolarWinds cyberattack that impacted several government agencies and tech companies last year. The attack was considered one of the most complex and sophisticated cyber-espionage campaigns ever conducted against the US government. The report provides more insight into how the attackers were able to infiltrate multiple targets by compromising SolarWinds software used by the victims. According to the report, the hacking group responsible for the attack, called APT29 or Cozy Bear, had been targeting SolarWinds at least as far back as October 2019. The report indicates that the group had a well-organized and well-funded operation with over 1,000 individuals working on the hack. This is a significant increase from previous estimates that suggested a smaller group was responsible for the attack. The report also provides new details about the methods used by the hackers, including their use of virtual private servers to evade detection and their use of legitimate software tools to carry out the attack. Additionally, the report suggests that the hackers may have been able to gain access to sensitive data from multiple US government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The SolarWinds hack is considered a major wake-up call for US cybersecurity, and the report’s findings underscore the need for increased vigilance and investment in cybersecurity measures to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.
