U.S. attorneys' offices' Microsoft 365 accounts fell victim to SolarWinds attack
The hackers behind the SolarWinds attack gained access to data from 27 U.S. Attorneys' offices.
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What you need to know
The U.S. Department of Justiceshared detailsregarding how the SolarWinds attack affected federal offices. 27 U.S. Attorneys' offices had at least one employee with a Microsoft 365 account compromised in connection to the SolarWinds attack. Compromised data includes sent, received, and stored emails, as well as email attachments.
“The Department is responding to this incident as if the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group responsible for the SolarWinds breach had access to all email communications and attachments found within the compromised O365 accounts,” says the U.S. Department of Justice."
It’s believed that attackers had access to compromised accounts from approximately May 7 to December 27, 2020.
The U.S. Department of Justice shared a long list of offices that had one or more employees with Microsoft 365 accounts compromised in connection to the SolarWinds attacks:
Microsoft President Brad Smith saidthat the SolarWinds attack was probably “the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen.” The attack targeted private businesses and government agencies. Attackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in the SolarWinds Orion software to gain access to data.
Previously,Microsoft identified 40 of its customersthat were targeted by the SolarWinds attack. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Russia of being behind the attack.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
