WSJ: Yahoo executives detect hack tied to Russia in 2014

MOSCOW, Sep 26 (PRIME) -- Executives of U.S. Internet behemoth Yahoo detected hackers in their systems in 2014 who they believed were linked to Russia and were seeking data on 30–40 specific users of the company’s online services, the Wall Street Journal reported late September 23, referring to a person familiar with the matter.

The person didn’t know whether that attack led to the theft of information on 500 million user accounts, which Yahoo disclosed on September 22. Yahoo said the information was stolen from its network in late 2014 by a “state-sponsored actor.”

The intrusion was discovered several weeks after the attack. Yahoo reported the incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the time, the source said. The FBI did not immediately respond to a Wall Street Journal request for comment.

When asked for comment, a Yahoo spokesman pointed out law enforcement is investigating the theft of data it had disclosed on September 22.

A spokesman at the Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

At the time of the 2014 attack, Yahoo executives concluded that it was linked to Russia because it was launched from computers in Russia, the person familiar with the matter said. In addition, the targets were people who did business in Russia, the source said.

Security investigators say it is not unusual for more than one hacker to break into corporate networks simultaneously, sometimes muddying the water surrounding an investigation.

The person familiar with the matter said several other technology companies suffered similar targeted attacks in late 2014. The person did not name any other targeted companies.

In recent months, hackers linked by U.S. investigators to the Russian government have allegedly leaked email messages belonging to the Democratic National Committee, which Russian officials have denied. Emails from former Secretary of State Colin Powell also were recently posted on a Web site with suspected ties to Russian intelligence services.

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