After speaking on refugee programs for Afghans that helped the United States, U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken left the State Department in Washington DC U.S. August 2, 20,21.
A cyberattack on the U.S. State Department resulted in notifications from the Department of Defense Cyber Command about a potential serious breach. Fox News reported that this was confirmed by a Fox News reporter.
Reuters was informed by a knowledgeable source that the State Department has not been affected by significant disruptions or had its operations impeded in anyway.
Fox News reported that the breach was believed to have occurred several weeks ago. According to the tweet thread of the reporter, it's not clear when it was discovered. It is not clear what the extent of the breach was and whether there are ongoing risks to operations.
According to an anonymous source, the cyberattack has not affected the department's ability to continue working in Afghanistan to evacuate Americans and other refugees.
CNBC was informed Saturday by a spokesperson for the State Department that the department takes seriously its responsibility to protect its information and is constantly taking steps to ensure it is secure.
The spokesperson stated that "for security reasons, we're not in a position at the moment to discuss the nature and scope of any alleged cybersecurity incidents."
