The Russians hacked 27 US law firms, including SDNY

Last year, Russian hackers hacked into Microsoft email accounts used by 80 percent of employees at four US law firms in New York City, the Justice Department said.

Large numbers of staff have been affected in New York’s Southern and Eastern Districts, which deal with some of the country’s most high-profile cases, including ongoing investigations into former President Trump and his lawyer, the former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The local offices were among 27 U.S. law offices nationwide that had at least one email account compromised by the same group that managed SolarWinds’ massive data breach last year, the Associated reported. Press. High-level offices like Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, and the Eastern District of Virginia were among those hacked.

The DOJ said it appears the accounts were compromised from May 7 to December 27, 2020. The SolarWinds campaign, which has reached dozens of private companies and think tanks, as well as at least nine US government agencies and the Republican National Committee, was discovered in mid-December.

Federal prosecutors share important sensitive information about cases via email, including discussions of case strategy and the names of confidential informants.

“I don’t remember anyone bringing me a document instead of emailing it to me for security reasons,” although there were exceptions for classified documents, told the PA former Federal Attorney Jennifer Rodgers.

The Justice Department did not say what type of information was collected or whether it would affect any cases.

The ministry said in January it had no indication any classified systems had been affected.