The White House’s National Security Council said Monday that a tool designed to help companies defend themselves from more compromises following a global hack of Microsoft email server software has been downloaded more than 25,000 times since it was released last week. According to an NSC spokesperson, as a result, the number of compromised systems has decreased by 45 percent.
The one-click Microsoft tool was designed to secure networks from cyberattacks by searching for vulnerabilities and patch them. It was created in the aftermath of a huge hack that affected tens of thousands of users of Microsoft’s Exchange email service.
The breach was found in early January and was blamed on Chinese cyber spies who were targeting American policy think tanks. Then, in late February, just five days before Microsoft Corp. released a patch on March 2, an avalanche of infiltrations by other intruders piggybacked on the initial breach.
The hack was identified by the White House as a “active threat” that was being discussed by senior national security officials earlier this month. The administration’s response is being led by Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger, who brought together government officials and private-sector experts to brainstorm solutions, particularly given that smaller companies frequently lack the resources to defend against cyberattacks and clean up after them.
After the tool’s publication, the number of compromised systems has dropped from at least 120,000 to less than 10,000.
Although Microsoft has been chastised for providing tools that elite hackers have abused, Charles Carmakal, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of FireEye, believes that Microsoft deserves praise for working hard to help people who use its software protect themselves. He specifically listed the downloadable turnkey script, which people can use to apply patches and check whether their systems have been hacked.