In the latest in a string of intrusions into U.S. agencies' high-tech systems, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM,) pictured June 5, 2015, suffered what appeared to be one of the largest breaches of information ever on government workers. The office handles employee records and security clearances Gary Cameron/Reuters
John R. Schindler, Daily Beast: China’s Hack Just Wrecked American Espionage
It's tough enough to be an undercover spy in the age of the Internet. China's hack of American personnel files just made it much, much harder.
The mega-hack of the Office of Personnel Management continues to get worse for Washington. Revelations of a second, even deeper intrusion into OPM servers bring distressing news that Pentagon employees, including intelligence personnel, are among the millions of Americans whose personal and security data have been compromised.
As The Daily Beast reported, this hack constitutes a disaster for Washington's counterintelligence operatives. Armed with very private information about the personal lives of millions of security clearance holders, foreign intelligence services can blackmail and coerce vulnerable officials. To make matters worse, foreign spies can use data purloined from OPM background investigations to head American mole-hunters off at the pass. For Beltway counterspies, the OPM breach will take decades to set right.
WNU Editor: In the world of cyber attacks and hacking .... it looks like China hit the mother-load with this cyber attack. The U.S. response has been .... predictably .... slow, confused, and late .... After China hack is discovered to include security files, White House tells agencies to lock down systems (Washington post). Even talk of White House retaliation is not convincing anyone .... Obama Considers Sanctions After Cyberattacks (U.S. News and World Report). But what is scary .... and eye opening .... is that the Chinese have done worse .... 5 Chinese Cyber Attacks That Might Be Even Worse Than the OPM Hack (Robert Knake, Defense One/Council on Foreign Relations).
More News On China's OPM Hack Attack
The latest Chinese hack on the US 'is a significant blow' to American human intelligence -- Business Insider
China-linked hackers get sensitive U.S. defense and intelligence data: report -- Reuters
White House Orders Agencies To Beef Up Cyber Defenses ‘Immediately’ -- Defense One/NextGov
Sex, lies and debt potentially exposed by U.S. data hack -- Reuters
Recently retired CIA senior officer: 'I'm really glad to be out of the game' -- Business Insider
The Fog of Cyber War -- Ronald Marks, Newsweek
After hack attacks, OPM has some explaining to do -- Washington Post
What the OPM Hack Means for the Future of Warfare -- Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic
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