A group of teenage hackers managed to breach some of the world’s biggest tech firms last year by exploiting systemic security weaknesses in US telecom carriers and the business supply chain, a US government review of the incidents has found, in what is a cautionary tale for America’s critical infrastructure.
The Department of Homeland Security-led review of the hacks, which was shared exclusively with CNN, determined US regulators should penalize telecom firms with lax security practices and Congress should consider funding programs to steer American youth away from cybercrime.
The investigation of the hacks – which hit companies like Microsoft and Samsung – found that, in general, it was far too easy for the cybercriminals to intercept text messages that corporate employees use to log into systems.
“It is highly concerning that a loose band of hackers, including a number of teenagers, was able to consistently break into the best-defended companies in the world,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN in an interview, adding: “We are seeing a rise in juvenile cybercrime.”
After a series of high-profile cyberattacks marked his first four months in office, President Joe Biden established the DHS-led Cyber Safety Review Board in 2021 to study the root causes of major hacking incidents and inform policy on how to prevent the next big cyberattack.
Staffed by senior US cybersecurity officials and executives at major technology firms like Google, the board does not have regulatory authority, but its recommendations could shape legislation in Congress and future directives from federal agencies.
The board’s first review, released in July 2022, concluded that it could take nearly a decade to eradicate a vulnerability in software used by thousands of corporations and government agencies worldwide.
The second…
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