The SolarWinds hack continues to make news. 2020’s monumental attack pointed out the vulnerabilities of our government’s cybersecurity. Now, we’re learning that the hackers obtained emails from top DHS officials, adding another blow to the US’s security credibility.
According to the Associated Press, hackers were able to obtain emails from then-acting Secretary Chad Wolf, the Trump administration’s head of the DHS, as well as members of the department’s cybersecurity staff. Those staff members were tasked in part with seeking out threats from foreign countries, adding an extra layer of irony to this particular hack.
At this time, the significance of hacking Wolf and the DHS isn’t yet known.
The SolarWinds hack, in addition to the Microsoft Exchange hack earlier this month, highlight intense cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the US government. In both hacks, it was private companies, not the government itself, that discovered these attacks.
While the US attempts to learn from these hacks and strengthen its own cybersecurity, it’s important for all of us to do the same.
Cover photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash
