US govt hack: Russia blamed

Washington – The US government confirmed on Sunday that its computer networks had been hit by a cyberattack, as The Washington Post reported at least two departments had been targeted by Russian state hackers.

“We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks,” a spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) said.

“Cisa is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises.”

The Post said the hacks were linked to an attack last week on cybersecurity fi rm FireEye, which said its own defences were breached by sophisticated attackers who stole tools used to test customers’ computer systems.

FireEye said it suspected the attack was state-sponsored.

US media also reported the FBI was investigating a group working for the Russian foreign intelligence service and that breaches had been taking place for months.

The same group also reportedly hacked agencies during the Obama administration.

Russia’s embassy in the US hit back later on Sunday against what it said were the “unfounded” media claims.