The recent hack into sensitive U.S. government networks compromised sensitive information from government agencies with considerable national-security roles. The covert operation targeted the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Commerce. It was exceptionally sophisticated, and long went undetected due to the hackers’ expertise and use of cyber tools that had never been seen before.
In order to counter the cyberattack, we need to hold someone responsible for it. That process is now underway, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday evening became the first administration official to explicitly label Russia as the culprit, saying that it was “pretty clearly” behind the SolarWinds operation. The next day, President Trump complicated the matter by downplaying the severity of the attack and accusing China instead in a series of tweets.
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