MILPITAS, Calif. (AP) — Prominent cybersecurity firm FireEye said Tuesday it was hacked by what it believes was a national government.
The attacker targeted and stole assessment tools that FireEye uses to test its customers’ security and which mimic the methods used by hackers, the company said.
“I’ve concluded we are witnessing an attack by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities,” FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia said in a statement. “This attack is different from the tens of thousands of incidents we have responded to throughout the years.”
The company didn’t identify who it thought was responsible. The stolen “Red Team” tools could be dangerous in the wrong hands, though FireEye said there’s no indication they have been used. The company said it has developed countermeasures to protect its customers and others.
Based in Milpitas, California, the publicly traded cybersecurity company has been on the front lines of investigating sophisticated hacking groups, including attempts tied to Russian groups to break into state and local governments in the U.S. that administer elections.
It said it is investigating the attack in coordination with the FBI and other partners such as Microsoft, which has its own cybersecurity team.