Unknown hackers broke into the computer network of the company that runs Nasdaq, according to a Wall Street Journal report. To be clear, the exchange trading platform, or the system that executes trades wasn't compromised. Nasdaq OMX told the Journal that the affected server, where suspicious files (believed to be malware) were found, operates independently from the critical trading platform.

Investigators are still trying to establish if other parts of Nasdaq OMX network were hacked into, and it is understood that investigations have been going on for at least a couple of months now. A range of possible motives are being considered, ranging from unlawful financial gain to the stealing of trade secrets. One source noted that the perpetrators "appear to have just been looking around," which could mean that the hackers were hunting around for additional vulnerabilities to exploit. While a computer trail was found leading to Russia, investigators are uncertain if the attack originated there, or if Russian computers were merely used as proxies.

Nasdaq is responsible for 19 percent of stock trades in the United States, noted the New York Times. Any damage of the exchange's trust with traders could exert a significant, possibly debilitating effect on the U.S. economy.

For more on this story:
- see this Editor's Corner from FierceCIO
- check out this article at eWeek
- check out this article at Ars Technica
- check out this article at CNET News

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