Robert F.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pulling the security protections and clearance of retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.

Experts say its going to take months to kick elite hackers widely believed to be Russian out of U.S. government networks. The hackers have been quietly rifling through those networks for months in Washingtons worst cyberespionage failure on record. Experts say there simply are not enough skilled threat-hunting teams to duly identify all the government and private-sector systems that may have been hacked. Many federal workers — and others in the private sector — must presume that unclassified networks are teeming with spies. The Pentagon has said it has so far not detected any intrusions from the SolarWinds campaign in any of its networks — classified or unclassified.

The nation’s cybersecurity agency warned of a “grave” risk to government and private networks. The hack compromised federal agencies and “critical infrastructure” in a sophisticated attack that was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in an unusual warning message Thursday. CISA officials did not respond to questions and so it was unclear what the agency meant by a “grave threat” or by “critical infrastructure” possibly targeted in the attack that the agency says appeared to have begun last March. The agency previously said the perpetrators had used network management software from Texas-based SolarWinds t o infiltrate computer networks. Members of Congress said they feared that taxpayers’ personal information could have been exposed because the IRS is part of Treasury, which used SolarWinds software.

Hackers got into computers at the U.S. Treasury Department and possibly other federal agencies, touching off a government response involving the National Security Council. Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 that the government is aware of reports about the hacks. The nation's cybersecurity agency warned of a “grave” risk to government and private networks. The agency previously said the perpetrators had used network management software from Texas-based SolarWinds t o infiltrate computer networks. Members of Congress said they feared that taxpayers’ personal information could have been exposed because the IRS is part of Treasury, which used SolarWinds software.

Hackers got into computers at the U.S. Treasury Department and possibly other federal agencies, touching off a government response involving the National Security Council. Intelligence agents generally seek the latest on weapons technologies and missile defense systems — anything vital to national security. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, cut short an overseas trip to hold meetings on the hack and was to convene a top-level interagency meeting later this week, the White House said in a statement. The SolarWinds campaign highlights the lack of mandatory minimum security rules for commercial software used on federal computer networks. “In all of the different departments and agencies, cybersecurity is never going to be their primary mission,” Langevin said.

The threat apparently came from the same cyberespionage campaign that has afflicted FireEye, foreign governments and major corporations, and the FBI was investigating. FireEye’s customers include federal, state and local governments and top global corporations. Cybersecurity experts said last week that they considered Russian state hackers to be the main suspect in the FireEye hack. Federal government agencies have long been attractive targets for foreign hackers. “I suspect that there’s a number of other (federal) agencies we’re going to hear from this week that have also been hit,” Williams added.

MOSCOW The Russian military on Thursday blamed U.S. troops for a collision of Russian and U.S. military vehicles in Syria's northeast. U.S. officials said Wednesday that a Russian vehicle sideswiped a light-armored U.S. military vehicle, injuring four Americans, while two Russian helicopters flew overhead, one as close as 20 meters (70 feet) from the U.S. vehicle. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck the American vehicle near Dayrick, in northeast Syria. He blamed the Russian military for unsafe and unprofessional actions" that breached deconfliction protocols between the two countries. In the call, Gerasimov pointed out that the Russian military had notified the U.S.-led coalition about the route of a Russian military police convoy.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's national security adviser, who tested positive for the coronavirus, returned to work Tuesday after recovering from a mild case of COVID-19, the White House said. Robert O'Brien has resumed his meetings with the president, said National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot. During his quarantine at home, Ambassador OBrien worked his normal duties. The administration said there was no risk of exposure to the president or Vice President Mike Pence. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said earlier that OBriens daughter also contracted the virus and that that is how officials think he was exposed.