FireEye Explains How Russian Hackers Cyber-Attacked The U.S.

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Reuters
detailed
on Saturday how a group of Russian cyber hackers conducted an extensive campaign against diplomatic targets in the U.S. and abroad using previously unknown flaws in various software to gain unauthorized and undetected intelligence.
FireEye IncFEYE
, a leading digital security firm told Reuters the hackers gained access through various "holes" in
Adobe Systems Incorporated
ADBE
's Flash software for viewing active content and
Microsoft CorporationMSFT
's "ubiquitous" windows operating system. The group of Russian hackers are also believed to have gained access into White House machines containing unclassified yet still sensitive information, including President Obama's travel schedules. FireEye noted that it is assisting the agencies probing the attacks, but could not comment if the same group is behind spying on diplomatic targets and the White House because that would be classified as secret. The company was able to say that Adobe has already issued a fix for the security weakness and the Microsoft problem is "less dangerous" as it involves enhanced powers on a computer from those of an ordinary user. FireEye said that a group they have designated as "APT28" has been operating since 2007, targeting U.S. defense attaches and military contractors along with NATO alliance offices and various government officials of special interest to Moscow. "Since 2007, APT28 has systematically evolved its malware, using flexible and lasting platforms indicative of plans for long-term use," FireEye discussed in a
blog post
back in 2010. "The coding practices evident in the group's malware suggest both a high level of skill and an interest in complicating reverse engineering efforts." Shares of FireEye were trading higher by 1.47 percent on Monday morning.
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Posted In: NewsAPT28cyber securityhackersReutersRussia
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