PA Authorities Help Thwart Russian Global Malware Attack

Pittsburgh PA

06 April, 2022

4:02 PM

Description

PITTSBURGH, PA — Federal authorities in Pennsylvania have helped halt a Russian botnet attack infecting thousands of network hardware servers worldwide. The operation removed malware from vulnerable internet-connected firewall devices. The efforts to disrupt the botnet -a network of hijacked computers used to carry out cyberattacks - were led by the FBI's Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Oklahoma City Field Offices, the FBI Cyber Division, the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. "We identified, disrupted and exposed yet another example of (Russia's) hacking of innocent victims in the United States and around the world," Cindy Chung, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. "Such activities are not only criminal but also threaten the national security of the United States and its allies." FBI director Christopher Wray said during a news conference in Washington, D.C.: "The botnet disruption we're announcing today strikes a blow against Russian intelligence (and) the Russian government." Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news:https://patch.com/subscribe.