Washington, United States — The potentially devastating hack of Microsoft email servers, the second major cyberattack in months, adds pressure to the Biden administration as it weighs options for “hacking back” or other moves to protect cyberspace.
Security analysts said stronger actions are needed to deter the attacks which exploited vulnerabilities in corporate and government networks and opened opportunities for espionage and cybercrime.
The latest hack exploiting flaws in Microsoft Exchange service is believed to have affected at least 30,000 US organizations including local governments and was attributed to an “unusually aggressive” Chinese cyberespionage campaign.
The news comes on the heels of revelations that Russia was probably behind the massive SolarWinds hack that shook the government and corporate security last year.
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“These are two very big incidents and represent a significant litmus test for the early stages of the Biden administration,” said Frank Cilluffo, a former homeland security adviser in the George W. Bush administration who is now the director of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.
“A response is important because it sets a precedent and sets the tone for the administration’s response to unacceptable cyber behavior.”
