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(Reuters) – The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) under the U.S. Treasury Department has reported that a breach occurred involving the email accounts of its executives and staff. This incident highlights continuing vulnerabilities within the organization.
The OCC made known that Congress was informed of the breach, which allowed unauthorized access to sensitive data related to the financial statuses of regulated institutions within the country.
Initial awareness of the breach came on February 11, with a public disclosure occurring approximately two weeks later. The agency described the breach as involving an administrative account and stated that, at that time, there was no apparent impact on the overall financial system.
As a key regulator, the OCC oversees all national banks, federal savings associations, and the federal branches of foreign banks, thereby playing a crucial role in the U.S. financial landscape.
In response to the breach, the agency has initiated a comprehensive review of its IT security measures aimed at fortifying defenses against future incidents. This assessment will determine enhancements needed to bolster detection and remediation of potential security threats.
Rodney E. Hood, the Acting Comptroller, acknowledged longstanding organizational and structural issues that contributed to the breach and affirmed that accountability will be established regarding the vulnerabilities that permitted this incident.
While the OCC’s announcement did not specify the particulars of the security weaknesses or indicate who might be responsible for the breach, the investigation into these details is ongoing. The agency has yet to respond to inquiries for additional information regarding the hack.
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tech.yahoo.com