Cyber Attack on US Government has Hit Worldwide

Washington, Dec 18 (AFP/APP): A devastating cyberattack on US government agencies has also hit targets worldwide, with the list of victims still growing, according to researchers, heightening fears over computer security and espionage.

Microsoft said late Thursday that it had notified more than 40 customers hit by the malware, which security experts say came from hackers linked to the Russian government and which could allow attackers unfettered network access.

“While roughly 80 percent of these customers are located in the United States, this work so far has also identified victims in seven additional countries,” Microsoft president Brad Smith said in a blog post. Smith said the victims were also found in Belgium, Britain, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s certain that the number and location of victims will keep growing,” Smith said, echoing concerns voiced this week by US officials on the serious threat from the attack.

“This is not ‘espionage as usual,’ even in the digital age,” Smith said. “Instead, it represents an act of recklessness that created a serious technological vulnerability for the United States and the world.” John Dickson of the security firm Denim Group said many private sector firms that could be vulnerable are scrambling to shore up security, even to the point of considering rebuilding their servers and other equipment.

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