Key Takeaways
- US cybersecurity firm F5 announced that a serious breach of its systems gave “long-term, persistent access” to hackers.
- The company has stated that they believe the hackers are state-backed from China.
- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive that this could result in “a catastrophic compromise of critical information systems.”
A US federal agency has issued a serious warning about the state of cybersecurity, after one US-based provider was breached.
Security breaches continue to plague the world, and the problem doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Companies simply don’t prioritize it like they should, even when the consequences could cripple or ruin a business.
The problem is so bad that even federal agencies are admitting that the potential blowback from a serious breach like the one that happened to F5 could be “catastrophic.”
US Cybersecurity Firm Breached
In a statement this week, US cybersecurity firm F5 announced that they had experienced a serious security breach.
“In August 2025, we learned a highly sophisticated nation-state threat actor maintained long-term, persistent access to, and downloaded files from, certain F5 systems.” – F5 statement
The Seattle-based company saw stocks fall 12% as a result of the announcement, despite the F5 noting that their “containment efforts have been successful.”
CISA Issues Emergency Directive in Response
As a result of the breach and its potential consequences, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive that warns federal agencies about the threat.
“The alarming ease with which these vulnerabilities can be exploited by malicious actors demands immediate and decisive action from all federal agencies. These same risks extend to any organization using this technology, potentially leading to a catastrophic compromise of critical information systems.” – Madhu Gottumukkala, Acting Director of the CISA
F5 is blaming China for the attack, but China Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has denied the accusations, describing them as “groundless.”
How to Protect Your Business from Hacks
This kind of news — the kind that features words like “catastrophic” — can make business owners think seriously about cybersecurity at their business.
That’s a good thing, because many aren’t as worried about the potential threat of breaches as they should be when it comes to investing in cybersecurity. Even worse, many cybersecurity professionals aren’t even reporting attacks when they happen.
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Suffice to say, the best way to prepare for these kind of breaches is by investing in infrasture and training your staff. Some systems just aren’t built for the advanced hacking tools available in 2025, and social engineering tactics remain a popular tactic for those trying to access your data.
