A Silicon Valley cybersecurity company reported a group of hackers it suspected as supported by a nation-state breached their digital security walls with the cybercriminals stealing some hacking tools.
For many years, FireEye, a Silicon Valley-based cybersecurity firm often receives the first call of government agencies and many companies around the world when sophisticated hackers attack these organizations' digital systems. Recently, it appears as if the hackers are turning their ire towards the cybersecurity firm. FireEye reported that sophisticated hackers, whom they suspect as belonging to intelligence agencies in Russia, breached their digital security walls and made off with some hacking tools in the process.
Attackers breach cybersecurity firm FireEye, steal hacking tools
https://t.co/9D7MA8S0QT — AppleInsider (@appleinsider) December 11, 2020
According to digital security experts at FireEye, hackers may have attacked their system in revenge for the patches and protection accorded by the cybersecurity firm to dozens of organizations, both private and government alike, around the world after being attacked by hackers. On Tuesday, FireEye revealed that what they suspect as Russian hackers pierced its own systems. The cybersecurity firm referred to the hackers as "a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities." The company's digital security consultants said the hackers employed "novel techniques" to steal the FireEye's own hacking tools, which are useful in staging new attacks in any part of the world.
The cybersecurity firm admitted the digital intrusion and eventual stealing of its hacking tools is stunning. They compared it to bank robbers who, after emptying local vaults, made off with the FBI investigative tools. FireEye disclosed that it already got in touch with the local FBI office to report the breaching of its digital security walls and the hackers' hauling off some of the cybersecurity firm's hacking tools.
FireEye, which is reportedly valued at $3.5 billion, did not elaborate on who they believe was responsible for the hacking of their system. However, the description that the cybersecurity firm provided the FBI and the investigative agency's eventual handing-over of the information provided to its Russia specialist, are strong indicators that the lead suspects in the hacking of the digital security walls of the cybersecurity firm might be Russians. The FBI is also currently looking at the type of FireEye hacking tools stolen by suspected members of the Russian intelligence agency.
According to FireEye, the hacking tools it owned that the hackers stole are digital tools that replicate even the classiest hacking tool in the world. The cybersecurity firm said that it uses the tools, with permission of their client company or government organization, to check for system vulnerabilities and apply patches to those security holes. The tools are stored in a digital vault that FireEye constantly keeps under close watch. When the hackers breached the digital security walls of the cybersecurity firm, they also stole the hacking tools that are supposedly highly-protected within the vault.
