Hackers managed to find their way into the US Department of Homeland Security’s primary information sharing platform, gaining unfettered access to the HSIN network that hosts unclassified information that multiple US agencies and international rely on.
The hack allowed the attackers to modify server files, run malicious code and steal credential files while installing backdoors and deleting logs to remove their digital footprint.
Their movements were flagged twice by automated systems and analysts in May 2026, before being dismissed as a false positive each time before an active breach was declared a month later.
Read more…
Source: TechRadar News
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