Authorities said the attack affected 3.5 million Oregonians and Louisianans who had driver’s licenses or identification documents in those states. Casey Tingle, a senior official in the Louisiana governor’s office, said Friday that more than 6 million records were compromised.
Illustration photo. Source: Internet
The states did not specifically blame anyone for the hack. The hackers exploited a vulnerability in a popular file-transfer software product called MOVEit created by Massachusetts-based Progress Software.
Hundreds of organizations around the world may have had their data exposed after hackers used the vulnerability to break into their systems in recent weeks. Several US federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, were hit.
Multiple sources told CNN on Friday that the US Office of Personnel Management was also affected by the hack, but the consequences were not severe.
US officials have described the cyberattack as an opportunistic, financially motivated hack that did not disrupt agency services.
Major corporations, including the BBC, British Airways and UK universities, were also affected by the attack.
US cybersecurity officials have ordered federal agencies to apply MOVEit updates, but the update is also said to have a security flaw.
“Several hundred” companies and organizations in the United States could be affected by the cyberattack, a senior U.S. official told reporters on Thursday, in what is seen as another test of the U.S. government’s ability to respond to cyber incidents.
Hoang Nam (according to CNN)
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