The hack – believed to have initially targeted U.S. think tanks – eventually compromised hundreds of thousands of businesses and organizations.
Victims of a massive global hack of Microsoft email server software — estimated in the tens of thousands by cybersecurity responders — hustled Monday to shore up infected systems and try to diminish chances that intruders might steal data or hobble their networks.
The White House has called the hack an “active threat” and said senior national security officials were addressing it.
The breach was discovered in early January and attributed to Chinese cyber spies targeting U.S. policy think tanks. Then in late February, five days before Microsoft issued a patch on March 2, there was an explosion of infiltrations by other intruders, piggybacking on the initial breach. Victims run the spectrum of organizations that run email servers, from mom-and-pop retailers to law firms, municipal governments, healthcare providers, and manufacturers.
While th
Continue Reading on The Diplomat
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.