Kim Zetter is one of the world's foremost cybersecurity reporters and a WIRED alum. So when she approached us to say she wanted to dig into the epic, sprawling hack of the software company SolarWinds, we knew we'd get something juicy. SolarWinds makes products to help IT folks manage their networks. In January 2019, Russian hackers infiltrated its systems and stole source code repositories and customer information. Fine, you might be thinking, another day in the life. Pilfered files and mothers' maiden names are always flying about the dark web. This intrusion, though, was next-level. Over the course of almost two years, the attackers studied SolarWinds' complex infrastructure, expertly deposited their malicious code into an upcoming software update, and waited for thousands of victims to install the update. Then they stealthily pursued their true targets. Their goal appeared to be espionage—to gain on trade and government secrets. Zetter reveals damning details about how the intruders compromised the servers of at least nine government agencies. She reports that the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies didn't even put their servers behind firewalls—the most rudimentary of measures. By the end, she'll have you feeling rather anxious about the future of software security. In the past three years, the rise of these types of attacks—known as supply-chain hacks—has been nothing short of extraordinary. – Sandra Upson | Features Editor |
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