Chinese hackers have become such a persistent presence on American computer networks — both public and private — that sometimes their meddling slips by with little notice. Not this time.
Late last year, intruders stole the records of some 4 million U.S. government workers from a federal data center. The attack, disclosed last week and attributed to Chinese hackers, was linked to previous breaches at health insurers Anthem Inc. and Premera Blue Cross. And it included the records of workers who had applied for security clearances.
The implications are ominous. Embarrassing information dredged up in a background check could be used for blackmail. Red flags in a security-clearance application — dependencies, emotional problems, financial woes — are just the sort of thing another government might look for when recruiting spies. And social engineering attacks, such as spear phishing, are a lot easier when hackers have a wealth of personal material to work with.
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