US Intelligence Accuses Russia of Cyber-hacking

US intelligence agencies have said they believe Russia was behind the "serious" cyber compromise revealed in December.

In a joint statement, the intelligence bodies say they currently believe fewer than 10 US government agencies saw their data compromised, although other organisations and private companies outside of government were also affected.

Eighteen thousand customers who used Orion product from the company Solar Winds were exposed but US intelligence says it believes a much smaller number saw follow-on activity from the hackers in which they stole data. The US Treasury was among those which previously acknowledged being targeted.

They say work is still going on to understand the scope of the incident, which appears to have been aimed at gathering intelligence and which they say is "ongoing" a month after details first emerged.

The update on the investigation came in a statement from a task force called the Cyber Unified Coordination Group which was set up to deal with the incident. It comprises intelligence and law enforcement agencies including the FBI and NSA.

Soon after the incident was revealed, President Trump raised the possibility that China might be responsible, but members of his own administration including the secretary of state and attorney general pointed the finger at Moscow. The latest statement shows the assessment of US intelligence agencies is that Russia was behind it, although it does not go so far as accusing the Russian state itself, saying only that the actor was "likely Russian in origin". Moscow has denied playing any part./Bbc