The U.S. Treasury Department, shown here in 2019, has been hacked along with the U.S. Commerce Department, according to reports. Russia is suspected, but denies involvement. The U.S. government has acknowledged a breach and says it is investigating to make a full assessment.
Patrick Semansky
/ AP
Updated at 5:00 p.m. ET
Russian hackers working for the Kremlin are believed to be behind breaches of U.S. government computer systems at the departments of Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security that may have lasted months before they were discovered, according to U.S. officials and media reports.
The hackers reportedly broke into the email systems at the government departments, but the full extent of the breach was not immediately clear as U.S. officials scrambled to make an assessment. There are concerns that hackers may have penetrated other government departments and perhaps many private companies as well.