Chinese Hackers Pursue Key Data on U.S. Workers

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/10/world/asia/chinese-hackers-pursue-key-data-on-us-workers.html

By Michael S. Schmidt, David E. Sanger and Nicole Perlroth
The New York Times
July 9, 2014

WASHINGTON -- Chinese hackers in March broke into the computer networks of 
the United States government agency that houses the personal information 
of all federal employees, according to senior American officials. They 
appeared to be targeting the files on tens of thousands of employees who 
have applied for top-secret security clearances.

The hackers gained access to some of the databases of the Office of 
Personnel Management before the federal authorities detected the threat 
and blocked them from the network, according to the officials. It is not 
yet clear how far the hackers penetrated the agency’s systems, in which 
applicants for security clearances list their foreign contacts, previous 
jobs and personal information like past drug use.

In response to questions about the matter, a senior Department of Homeland 
Security official confirmed that the attack had occurred but said that “at 
this time,” neither the personnel agency nor Homeland Security had 
“identified any loss of personally identifiable information.” The official 
said an emergency response team was assigned “to assess and mitigate any 
risks identified.”

One senior American official said that the attack was traced to China, 
though it was not clear if the hackers were part of the government. Its 
disclosure comes as a delegation of senior American officials, led by 
Secretary of State John Kerry, are in Beijing for the annual Strategic and 
Economic Dialogue, the leading forum for discussion between the United 
States and China on their commercial relationships and their wary efforts 
to work together on economic and defense issues.

[...]

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