The United States Treasury Department and an agency that decides on internet and telecommunications policies were hit by hackers backed by a foreign government.
No word was given as to who the foreign government was that backed the hackers
“The United States government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation,” John Ullyot, a National Security Council spokesman, said.
The hackers hit the Treasury Department and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and now there is fear that they may have used the same tool to target other agencies within the government.
The hack was said to be taken so seriously that a National Security Council meeting took place at the White House on Saturday, one of the people familiar with the situation said to Reuters.
It involved the NTIA’s office software, Microsoft’s Office 365. The source said that the agency’s emails were monitored by the hackers for months.
