*FireEye CEO says the cyber-attack was different from the tens of thousands of incidents the cybersecurity firm has responded to throughout the years, as Russian hackers are reportedly being investigated as the likely culprit

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

One of the American leading cybersecurity firms, FireEye, has shared details of a hack targeting its “Red Team” tools, which it uses to test customers’ security.

The firm said there was a concern that the hackers could publicly release the tools they accessed or use them to carry out other attacks.

Kevin Mandia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FireEye, in a blog post, wrote that the attack was “different from the tens of thousands of incidents we have responded to throughout the years.

A cyber-attacker

“The attackers tailored their world-class capabilities specifically to target and attack FireEye.

“They are highly trained in operational security and executed with discipline and focus.” Mandia stated that “they operated clandestinely, using methods that counter security tools and forensic examination.

“They used a novel combination of techniques not witnessed by us or our partners in the past.”

In the meantime, FireEye said it did not currently have evidence that any consumer information was taken in the attack.

Though the cybersecurity company did not say in its report who it believes is responsible for the latest attack, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that state-sponsored Russian hackers are a likely suspect.

A source familiar with the matter told WSJ that Russia is currently being viewed by investigators as “the most likely culprit.”

According to the report, “Moscow’s foreign-intelligence service, known as the SVR and one of two Russian groups that hacked the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 presidential election, is believed to be responsible, the person said.”

FireEye didn’t specify when the hack took place or when it became aware of it. The hack is currently being investigated by FireEye, as well as the FBI and industry partners like Microsoft, report stated.