Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Mysterious cyber attack breaches White House computer network

Published Oct 29th, 2014 7:45AM EDT
White House Cyber Attack Breach
Image: The White House | YouTube

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Following the many data breaches that have hit U.S. retailers, financial institutions and even the government, the White House has also confirmed that an unclassified computer network used by President’s Obama’s senior staff had been breached by hackers, The New York Times reports. However, it’s not clear why hackers attacked the White House, or at least such details have not been divulged yet.

FROM EARLIER: There’s a chance your Windows computer is being hacked right now

The administration said the attack “did not appear to be aimed at destruction of either data or hardware, or to take over other systems at the White House.”

Apparently, hackers were simply probing and mapping the unclassified White House systems. Recently, a similar report suggested that hackers who hit JPMorgan and other banks may have been looking for information about the security measures used by these financial institutions for future attacks.

It’s not clear who attacked the White House’s computers, and whether these hacks are in any way related to the many data breaches reported over the course of the year.

The Times also says that the administration took immediate action to defend its systems, action that resulted in temporary system outages.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.