As the US ramps up response to coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department has suffered a cyber attack Sunday night, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The cyber attack was reportedly aimed at slowing down HHS computer systems, but was unsuccessful in doing so, and the hackers do not appear to have taken any data from the agency's systems, people familiar with the matter said. It appears the incident was part of the “campaign of disruption and disinformation that was aimed at undermining the response to the coronavirus pandemic”, according to the sources.
“On Sunday, we became aware of a significant increase in activity on HHS cyber infrastructure and are fully operational as we actively investigate the matter,” HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley said.
“We are coordinating with federal law enforcement and remain vigilant and focused on ensuring the integrity of our IT infrastructure.”
The agency suspects the foreign state is behind the cyber attack, but there is no definitive proof at this time.
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and other Trump administration officials are aware of the cyber attack. The National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command are investigating the incident.