Hewlett-Packard announced a data breach on its cloud-based email systems last Dec. 12, supposedly by the Russian-backed hacker group that recently attacked Microsoft.
The tech firm confirmed that an "a small percentage" of employee mailboxes, including those in cybersecurity, were affected by the attack.
HP noted a similar hacking method with the Russian-backed cybercriminal group "Midnight Blizzard," also known as Nobelium, the same group that launched on Microsoft just two weeks ago.
According to HP, the December incident was linked to an earlier incident in May where several of its SharePoint files were stolen by anonymous perpetrators.
The company has already cooperated with law enforcement to investigate the attack. HP assured that the data breach did not make any "material impact" on the company's operations.
Midnight Blizzard has yet to claim responsibility for the attack.
Also Read: Microsoft Senior Leaders' Emails Breached by Russian-Backed Hackers
Midnight Blizzard Gains More Notoriety for Cyber Espionage
The cyber group has recently been making a name in the past years following several successful data breaches on major tech companies and government websites.
Midnight Blizzard, previously known as Nobelium, was able to hack into several government agencies in the US and UK in 2020, earning recognition as one of the most advanced cyberespionage groups in the world right now.
State officials claimed that the group works directly under the Russian government, operating as an overt intelligence group.
The Kremlin already denied allegations of its affiliation with the group.
Related Article: Russia-Linked Hackers Launch Phishing Attacks on 40 Govt Orgs
Cyber Experts Disappointed Over Security Against Data Breaches
Amid the increasingly frequent reports of major data breaches, a resounding disappointment from cybersecurity experts can be felt over the companies' failure to prevent such attacks.
Midnight Blizzard typically uses a basic hacking method, password spraying, to illegally gain access to cloud storage and corporate data.
A senior US National Security Agency official even noted how a major tech company like Microsoft was able to be breached by rudimentary tactics "in this day and age," CNN reported.
