FBI warns US companies of dangerous malware following Sony hack

A devastating malware attack used against Sony Pictures Entertainment last week could be a threat to other businesses as well. In a five-age confidential warning first reported by Reuters, the FBI describes malicious software used in an attack that appeared similar to that used against Sony, though it didn’t mention the company by name. The FBI report provided technical advice to other businesses on how to respond to the malware.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned U.S. businesses that hackers have used malicious software to launch a destructive cyberattack in the United States, following a devastating breach last week at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Cybersecurity experts said the malicious software described in the alert appeared to describe the one that affected Sony, which would mark first major destructive cyber attack waged against a company on U.S. soil. Such attacks have been launched in Asia and the Middle East, but none have been reported in the United States. The FBI report did not say how many companies had been victims of destructive attacks. “I believe the coordinated cyberattack with destructive payloads against a corporation in the U.S. represents a watershed event,” said Tom Kellermann, chief cybersecurity officer with security software maker Trend Micro Inc. “Geopolitics now serve as harbingers for destructive cyberattacks.”