🔒 The SolarWinds hack was a massive cyberattack that occurred in 2020, and is considered one of the most significant breaches in history.
📆 The hack was discovered in December 2020, but it's believed to have started as early as March of the same year.
👥 The attackers were a group of Russian state-sponsored hackers, known as APT29, Cozy Bear, or The Dukes.
💻 The group gained access to SolarWinds, a #Texas-based software company, and implanted malware into the company's software updates.
🔍 The malware, called Sunburst, allowed the attackers to access the computer networks of SolarWinds customers, including many US government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
🔍 In early April, #cybersecurity researchers suspected that SolarWinds, an IT management software company, may have been compromised. However, their concerns were dismissed by others in the industry.
💻 This suspicion turned out to be true, and it was later revealed that SolarWinds was hacked by Russian state-sponsored hackers, who implanted a malware named Sunburst in its Orion software updates.
🔍 The attackers were able to remain undetected for months, as the program lay dormant in the system, waiting for the right moment to initiate its protocol and make itself known.
🎶 As the Soundgarden song goes, "In my eyes, indisposed, in disguises no one knows, hides the face, lies the snake."
It seems the hackers' plan was to use the hack to steal sensitive info from government agencies and private companies, ultimately washing away the competition.
💰 According to reports, the SolarWinds hack was one of the largest and most sophisticated cyber espionage campaigns in history, resulting in the theft of a vast amount of sensitive information, including trade secrets and personal data.
👥 Among the government agencies affected were the Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security departments, as well as the National Institutes of Health.
💰 The financial impact of the hack is still being assessed, but it's estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
🚨 The SolarWinds hack highlights the importance of cybersecurity, the need for companies and governments to take proactive measures to protect themselves against advanced persistent threats. It is a reminder that cyber warfare is a very real and growing threat to #natsec.
1:05 PM · Feb 16, 2023
