Concern arises that Russian hackers may have accessed classified Pentagon information
A system dealing with classified material was shut down for "emergency" purposes, following recent revelations of the hacking of the Homeland Security Department, the Treasury Department and FireEye. The Pentagon did not comment on the matter
Ami Rojkes Dombe | 17/12/2020 Contact author
The Pentagon ordered the emergency shutdown of a classified internal communication network on Tuesday, three sources confirmed. The unprecedented shutdown followed recent revelations that the Homeland Security Department and other federal agencies were compromised by hackers.
The Defense Department informed employees that the SIPRNET system was being shut down in the late morning for emergency software updates, sources told Just the News. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for a comment, including on whether the shutdown was connected to the breach, allegedly by Russian agents, that was reported on Sunday.
The system, called the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, handles classified information, up to the secret level. It was said to have been shut down for several hours. "This has never happened in the middle of a work day," said a Pentagon official. "Updates usually are done on weekends and after hours late at night. This was done on an emergency basis."
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