Likely Russian cyberattack reportedly infiltrated nuclear weapons agency

Department of Energy headquarters.
(Image credit: ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP via Getty Images)

A massive cyberattack potentially orchestrated by Russia infiltrated the U.S. agency in charge of America's nuclear weapons stockpile, officials directly familiar with the matter tell Politico.

The perpetrator seemingly accessed U.S. government systems via malware implanted in SolarWinds' Orion network management program — a flaw the cybersecurity company FireEye discovered and publicized last week. It seems dozens of U.S. departments and agencies had downloaded the update and were compromised, including the the State Department, the National Institutes of Health, parts of the Pentagon, and notably, the Department of Homeland Security.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.