Kirby on Chinese Hackers: Not Helpful to Try to Read Too Much into the Timing of This Attack with Sec. Yellen’s Trip

STEPHANOPULOS On this hack ░░░░░░░░ by Microsoft we now ░░░░░░░░ they targeted the U ░░░░░░░░ government they targeted the ░░░░░░░░ Department KIRBY Yeah STEPHANOPULOS ░░░░░░░░ targeted the State Department ░░░░░░░░ spoke with Jake Sullivan ░░░░░░░░ it yesterday He said ░░░░░░░░ were still investigating What ░░░░░░░░ have you learned How ░░░░░░░░ is it What are ░░░░░░░░ going to say to ░░░░░░░░ Chinese KIRBY Well we ░░░░░░░░ it very very seriously ░░░░░░░░ we took actions immediately ░░░░░░░░ to try to mitigate ░░░░░░░░ effects of it We ░░░░░░░░ obviously taking a fresh ░░░░░░░░ at our systems and ░░░░░░░░ cloud computing capabilities to ░░░░░░░░ sure we can be ░░░░░░░░ resilient in the future ░░░░░░░░ is still under investigation ░░░░░░░░ the FBI I m ░░░░░░░░ I don t have ░░░░░░░░ more information now for ░░░░░░░░ today But again we ░░░░░░░░ we re working real ░░░░░░░░ to make sure our ░░░░░░░░ are as resilient as ░░░░░░░░ STEPHANOPULOS But what does ░░░░░░░░ say to you that ░░░░░░░░ was happening just as ░░░░░░░░ of State Blinken was ░░░░░░░░ to Beijing KIRBY You ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Yellen I think ░░░░░░░░ I mean look I ░░░░░░░░ t want to get ░░░░░░░░ the attribution on this ░░░░░░░░ and I don t ░░░░░░░░ to get ahead of ░░░░░░░░ FBI investigation I would ░░░░░░░░ say a couple of ░░░░░░░░ First of all our ░░░░░░░░ are attacked every single ░░░░░░░░ by cyber actors state ░░░░░░░░ non state actors all ░░░░░░░░ the world It is ░░░░░░░░ uncommon for some of ░░░░░░░░ state actors Russia Iran ░░░░░░░░ Korea China to be ░░░░░░░░ part of that process ░░░░░░░░ again I don t ░░░░░░░░ to get ahead of ░░░░░░░░ we are And I ░░░░░░░░ t know that it ░░░░░░░░ helpful to try to ░░░░░░░░ too much into the ░░░░░░░░ of this attack with ░░░░░░░░ Yellen s trip Secretary ░░░░░░░░ had a good productive ░░░░░░░░ of conversations with the ░░░░░░░░ Lines of communication are ░░░░░░░░ open That s a ░░░░░░░░ thing The president wants ░░░░░░░░ focus on getting this ░░░░░░░░ in a more stable ░░░░░░░░ STEPHANOPULOS OK I thought ░░░░░░░░ thought actually the hack ░░░░░░░░ much earlier it was ░░░░░░░░ revealed around Secretary Yellen ░░░░░░░░ trip but thanks for ░░░░░░░░ that John Kirby thanks ░░░░░░░░ much.”