Russian hackers breach Defense Department email

Russian hackers used social media to infiltrate the Defense Department’s unclassified email system, NBC News reported Thursday.

The breach, officials said, took place in late July and affected 4,000 military and civilian Defense Department employees, forcing the Pentagon to temporarily shut down the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s email network. However, the hack did not compromise any classified information or emails.

One unnamed official told CNN the attack exploited “a new and different vulnerability” in the government’s system.

While reports said officials suspected Russian hackers, it was not clear whether the attack was state-sponsored. The attack follows an earlier breach of the Defense Department’s networks by Russian hackers, which Defense Secretary Ashton Carter revealed in April, and attacks on the State Department and White House networks late last year.

The breach also came as Congress is in the midst of considering several cybersecurity bills, including a measure to improve federal agencies’ network defenses.

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