Enlarge / If Alaska's native Ursus arctos population could be enlisted for cyber defense patrols, attackers might need paws for reflection before committing a criminal breach. (credit: Jared Lloyd via Getty Images) Last week, Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) disclosed a security breach apparently made by a sophisticated nation-state level attacker. According to DHSS—which contracted with well-known security firm Mandiant to investigate the breach—the attackers gained a foothold inside DHSS' network via one of its public-facing websites, from which it pivoted to deeper resources. A months-long saga This is not the first report of the DHSS breach.