Chinese hackers steal data from US government personnel

Chinese hackers have gained access to a US government agency that manages personnel data. The hackers would have been after applications from tens of thousands of government employees for a top secret clearance.

The attackers allegedly gained access to databases managed by the Office of Personnel Management. When the hackers were discovered, access was immediately blocked, The New York Times reports.

It is still unclear how deep the hackers have penetrated into government systems, but authorities have assembled a team to further investigate the hack. The initial findings would have shown that the attackers were operating from China, but it is still unclear whether they are hackers working for the Chinese government.

The attack comes at a time when China and the United States are increasingly accusing each other of hacking and espionage. This has increased tensions between the two countries. Recently, five more members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army were indicted. According to the US, they were involved in stealing trade secrets from several large companies. However, Edward Snowden states that the US also regularly carries out hacking attacks on China. This would be done by the NSA.