Hackers have attacked the external email system of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the law enforcement agency said, confirming earlier media reports.
Bloomberg reported on November 13 that hackers sent tens of thousands of fake emails from an FBI account, warning of a possible cyber attack.
Some of the e-mails were titled: "Urgent: threat to systems."
The independent security group Spamhaus reported that the fake emails were sent in two periods early on November 13 from an address on the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal used by multiple government agencies.
US authorities said they were aware of the fake emails being sent from an FBI account, but gave few details.
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"This is an evolving situation and we are unable to provide any additional information at this time. We continue to encourage the public to exercise caution," the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said.
There is no word on how the emails were sent or what systems may have been compromised.
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