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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned of malware attack on more than two thousand computers and other electronic devices in the state.

On Wednesday, AG Becerra said the state’s Department of Justice sent letters to communication service providers regarding the problem. The department encouraged the companies to inform users with identified Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that their devices may contain malware.

In the letters,  the Justice Department explained that it is necesarry to notify users to reduce exposure to further malicious activity. Malware attacks allows an outside source to control the device to steal data, send spam, turn on camera or microphones, store data etc.

In addition, the Justice Department is requesting the identity of the subscriber or other entitity associated with the IP addresses.  According to the department, those IP addresses were logged as part of a Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS). The attach happened on March 13, 2018.

Authorities conducting criminal investigation into the malware attack

AG Becerra’s office and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal-ES) are conducting a criminal investigation on the cyberattack.

In a statement, he said it is critical for them to identify cybercrimes and take action against those who deploy malware. He explained the cybercriminals can do almost anything they want on a device with malware.

According to AG Becerra, “Today, we took steps to identify one of these cyberattacks. We continue to analyze the malware and work to hold the attackers accountable."

On the other hand, Cal-OES Director Mark Ghilarducci, said, “This type of cyber-attack is a persistent approach for bad actors. They use "bots to transmit malware or to launch attacks to disrupt nearly any computer system..."

Additionally, Ghilarducci said they are focused on identifying the cybercriminals and their networks and shutting them down.

Furthermore, he said,“We must continue preparing for and responding to cyber events with precision, and that requires a proactive approach."