| It was recently reported that the web based email | | | | about this attack as they can still email anyone with |
| services of the FBI had been disrupted by a virus. | | | | their private internet access. They also have a secure |
| These reports were confirmed by the FBI, who said | | | | email system that is effective in connecting all their |
| that they had to shut down their intranet because of | | | | offices across the country and overseas. |
| a disruption in their unclassified network. | | | | Although the FBI did not actually provide any |
| However, they did dispute rumors stating that this | | | | information about the attack, by the looks of things, |
| attack had left FBI crippled and unable to contact | | | | hackers had managed to hack the network using |
| their counterparts and other law enforcement | | | | maliciously encoded file attachments. The reason why |
| agencies across the world via email. On the contrary, | | | | they had actually blocked users from sending and |
| they had stated that the unclassified, external | | | | receiving attachments in the unclassified network |
| network of FBI was shut down mainly as a | | | | was to give their technicians sufficient time to scan |
| precautionary measure, and nothing else. | | | | the network and identify and eradicate all threats. |
| This is why the FBI had managed to restore email | | | | Malicious attachments can be dangerous for your |
| traffic via the external and unclassified network | | | | computer |
| within 48 hours of the identification of the issuer and | | | | Coincidentally, Microsoft had warned about attackers |
| mitigating risks. Moreover, the FBI basically sends | | | | sending malicious attachments in QuickTime media |
| their important emails using their more secure and | | | | files to innocent victims. This was done with the |
| internal network or with the help of BlackBerry and | | | | intention of exploiting the un-patched flaws of Apple's |
| are not that dependant on this unclassified network | | | | media format to make it possible to install malicious |
| for communication. | | | | software on Windows systems which is very |
| Shut down for technical reasons | | | | detrimental o all machines. |
| This unclassified and external network is used by only | | | | While the FBI outage was the first report of such |
| some FBI personnel to send messages through the | | | | outages by the New York Post, other news outlets |
| web-based email system. It was this system that | | | | had reported last week about the FBI getting |
| was shutdown in the week, and rendered useless | | | | attacked by the same virus that had attacked the |
| and unavailable to many users. | | | | Windows systems of the US Marshal's. |
| The FBI stated that there was nothing to worry | | | | |