Cloudflare says state-backed hackers tried to burrow into its global network


The keyboard of a computer is pictured at a computer shop in Ciudad Juarez, October 19, 2017. Picture taken October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Internet firm Cloudflare said in a statement on Thursday that an advanced group of hackers tried to burrow deep into its global network late last year but were thwarted.

The company, which did not identify the hackers, said in a blog post that it had discovered the intruders on Thanksgiving in late November and ejected them the following day. The spies were able to access "some documentation and a limited amount of source code" but Cloudflare said the operational impact of the intrusion was "extremely limited."

"Based on our collaboration with colleagues in the industry and government, we believe that this attack was performed by a nation state attacker with the goal of obtaining persistent and widespread access to Cloudflare's global network."

Cloudflare said it had called in cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to help remediate the breach and that the company confirmed that the last evidence of "threat activity" was left on Nov. 24.

CrowdStrike did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI and the American cyber watchdog agency CISA also did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Cloudflare offers a suite of web and application services, including content delivery and network protection. A large chunk of the internet relies on the San Francisco-based company to deliver its web content to users, so any disruption to its network can have serious knock-on effects.

(Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Tech News

Corning faces EU probe into smartphone ‘Gorilla Glass’
UBS pilots blockchain-based payment system
Tech giants brace�for AI revamp, antitrust pullback in Trump 2.0
How a viral TikTok video compelled city to replace broken street lamps
Poco launches its C75 smartphone (priced from RM499) and Poco Pad (from RM1,399) in Malaysia
Chinese social media buzzes with admiration for Trump’s comeback
In this US school district, some parents are pushing back against a cellphone ban
After Trump took the lead, election deniers went suddenly silent
Australia moves to ban children under 16 from social media
South Korea fights deepfake porn with tougher punishment and regulation

Others Also Read