The Attack Hit 83 Million U.S. Homes and Businesses. New Evidence Links the Strike to the Russian Government.

JPMorgan Chase revealed this week that it was hit by a massive cyberattack that compromised the financial information of 76 million households and 7 million small businesses — including, possibly, the president of the United States.

The people responsible likely speak Russian.

The New York Times reported late Friday on new details on the cyberattack, revealing that nine other financial institutions were apparently hit and that the Russian government could be connected to the attack:

[Besides JPMorgan,] nine other financial institutions — a number that has not been previously reported — were also infiltrated by the same group of overseas hackers, according to people briefed on the matter. The hackers are thought to be operating from Russia and appear to have at least loose connections with officials of the Russian government, the people briefed on the matter said.

[...]

“It could be in retaliation for the sanctions” placed on Russia, one senior official briefed on the intelligence said. “But it could be mixed motives — to steal if they can, or to sell whatever information they could glean.”

As the Times noted, the attack is particularly worrisome because it demonstrates the vulnerability of Wall Street to foreign hackers.

“It was a huge surprise that [the hackers] were able to compromise a huge bank like JPMorgan,” Al Pascual, a security analyst with Javelin Strategy and Research, told the Times. “It scared the pants off many people.”

Featured image via the Associated Press

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