You might want to check in with your SecOps team this morning. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned of a “grave threat” to government and private networks from a long-undetected intrusion into U.S. (and other) computer systems around the globe. Officials suspect Russian hackers, but this hack is so massive (and so well executed) that it’s unclear who is responsible.

In a statement, CISA warned that the hack compromised federal agencies and “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo. Unfortunately, they did not define “grave threat” or disclose what “critical infrastructure” may have been targeted in the attack, which is suspected to have begun last March.

It looks like the hackers exploited SolarWinds’s network management software to carry out the attack. This story is unfolding and many of the details are still unavailable, but one thing is clear: “There are only two kinds of companies: those that have been hacked and those who don’t know they’ve been hacked.”

Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.

About Shelly Palmer

Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.

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