- The Russia-linked hackers behind the SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI) breach gained access to email accounts of then acting Department of Homeland Security head Chad Wolf and members of the department's cybersecurity team.
- An inquiry by the Associated Press discovered details about the breach at DHS and other agencies like the Energy Department, where private calendar information was accessed.
- After the SolarWinds breach was discovered by FireEye late last year, Wolf and other top DHS officials started using new phones that were wiped clean and loaded with an encrypted messaging system.
- The Federal Aviation Administration was also among the hacked agencies. An AP source says it took time for the FAA to identify how many servers had SolarWinds software because of the agency's outdated technology.
- Related: A draft Biden administration executive order would force software vendors to notify affected federal agencies when any breach is discovered.