Holiday cyberattacks hit U.S. government sites

A number of U.S. government agencies have been hit by cyberattacks since the July 4th holiday, and while little information is coming out right now, authorities suspect the culprit may be North Korea.

The New York Times reports the attacks targeted major websites in the United States, including those of the White House, the State Department and the New York Stock Exchange. They were similar to cyberattacks in South Korea at the same time.

"This is not a simple attack by an individual hacker, but appears to be thoroughly planned and executed by a specific organization or on a state level," the South Korean National Intelligence Service said in a statement, adding that it is cooperating with the American investigative authorities to investigate the attacks.

The Washington Post, the target of an attack, reported on its website Wednesday that a total of 26 sites were targeted. In addition to sites run by government agencies, several commercial websites also were attacked, including those operated by Nasdaq. It said that among the targeted websites were the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.

Amy Kudwa, a spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency, issued a notice to federal departments and agencies, as well as other partner organizations, on the activity. She also advised them of steps to take to help combat these kinds of attacks, The New York Times reported.

The intensity of these clearly coordinated attacks make it even more imperative for the federal government to figure out a way to protect its sites. And it is a not-so-subtle warning signal that the government can never let its guard down.

For more on the holiday hack attacks:
- check out this New York Times article