Microsoft Hack Exposes Texas Agencies To Russian State-Sponsored Attack: Report

Microsoft Corp. MSFT reportedly informed over a dozen Texas state agencies and public universities that Russian state-sponsored hackers accessed their emails through a breach disclosed in January.

The hackers, linked to Russian intelligence services, infiltrated Microsoft’s systems and stole emails from some company executives, reported Bloomberg.

The affected Texas entities include the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Texas General Land Office, and Texas State Securities Board, the report mentioned.

The attack, attributed to a group known as Midnight Blizzard, has led to ongoing investigations by the state and Microsoft.

Steve Pier, an official with the Texas cybersecurity agency, acknowledged the breach, stating that so far, only routine administrative emails have been exposed, per the report.

Pier emphasized that the state itself was not breached, but Microsoft was, involving some state emails. The Texas Department of Information Resources is assessing the scope of the exposure.

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Microsoft has been notifying affected customers and offering support to mitigate the breach’s impact. Microsoft told the General Land Office that hackers accessed 11 emails, primarily related to technical support, with no sensitive information compromised.

The breach, attributed to Midnight Blizzard, also known as APT 29 or Cozy Bear, has raised concerns about potential access to sensitive information.

Microsoft stock has gained more than 32% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund XLK and IShares U.S. Technology ETF IYW.

Price Action: MSFT shares are trading higher by 0.40% at $448.73 in premarket at last check Monday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: B_A from Pixabay

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