Hewlett Packard announced on Wednesday that its cloud email system fell victim to a cyberattack by a Russian state-sponsored hacking group known as Midnight Blizzard or Cozy Bear. The breach was disclosed through a legal complaint, revealing that the hackers accessed and leaked data from a small number of Hewlett Packard email accounts owned by individuals in the company’s cybersecurity domain, starting in May 2023. The company continues to investigate the breach, believed to be linked to another incident in June 2023, where intruders penetrated a limited number of SharePoint files, according to legal proceedings.
Hewlett Packard stated that it took immediate action, collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to contain and address the suspicious activity, finding that it had no material impact on the company after implementing containment measures. The company is working with law enforcement and will provide legal notifications as needed during the ongoing investigation.
In a similar incident, Microsoft revealed in early January that it also suffered a hacking attack by a Russian state-sponsored group known as Nobelium or APT29, associated with the Russian intelligence agency. The group breached some email accounts of top executives. This disclosure follows a trend set by new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules requiring companies to disclose cybersecurity incidents.
Hewlett Packard’s stock remained stable in after-hours trading on Wednesday, closing at $15.76.
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