Chinese Hackers Steal 60,000 Emails from US State Department Employees
Hackers related to the Chinese government have successfully stolen approximately 60,000 emails from the mailboxes of 10 employees at the US State Department during a cyber attack in the summer, according to a report by Politico (source). One of the victims of the attack was Gina Raymondo, the Minister of Trade of the United States.
The specific details of the affected employees have not been disclosed, but it has been revealed that nine of them were involved in matters related to East Asia, while one focused on the Pacific region.
The stolen information includes highly sensitive data such as the victims’ travel schedules, diplomatic negotiations, and even social insurance numbers, potentially putting the affected individuals at risk of identity theft and other malicious activities.
Interestingly, the attackers utilized a stolen Microsoft certificate to gain access to the State Department employees’ email accounts. This same certificate was also used in hacking efforts targeting 25 other organizations and state structures.