Alleged Russian hackers apparently accessed email accounts belonging to the Trump administration’s head of the Department of Homeland Security and DHS cybersecurity staff members whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries, The Associated Press reported.
The DHS email breach allegedly extends back to the SolarWinds Orion attack, the AP report says.
Russia's alleged ability to spy on DHS emails is especially troubling, considering the DHS will lead the Biden administration's cybersecurity agenda across government agencies.
The Biden administration has been overhauling the federal government's cybersecurity leadership and strategy, but the White House has yet to fill a newly created position known as U.S. national cybersecurity director.
U.S. vs Russia: Cyber Counter-Strikes?
Meanwhile, the Biden administration reportedly plans to launch a series of covert cyber offenses aimed at Russian networks to retaliate for the attacks, according to March 2021 reports.
Moreover, President Biden has called for the United States and democratic nations to jointly frame the “norms of behavior in cyberspace.”
Russia has denied any role in the SolarWinds Orion breach.
