The Story Behind The SolarWinds Cyberattack

Last year, hackers believed to be directed by the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, slipped a malicious code into a routine software update from a Texas- based company called SolarWinds. They then used it as a vehicle for a massive cyberattack against America and successfully infiltrated Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and other companies, and federal agencies including the Treasury Department, Justice Department, Energy Department and the Pentagon.

The Biden administration recently announced a roster of tough sanctions against Russia as part of what it characterized as the "seen and unseen" response to the SolarWinds breach.

NPR investigative correspondent Dina Temple-Raston has spent months examining the landmark attack that — based on interviews with dozens of players — reveals a hack unlike any other.

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