Chinese hack of Microsoft engineer led to breach of US officials’ emails, company says

Sean Lyngaas, CNN

https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/09/06/politics/chinese-hack-microsoft-us-officials-email/index.html

6 Sept 2023

The Chinese hackers had breached senior US officials’ emails.

The Chinese hackers who breached senior US officials’ emails in May and June were able to do so by first stealing sensitive data from a Microsoft engineer, the company revealed Wednesday.

The statement sheds new light on a cyber-espionage campaign that has caused a furor in Washington. The hackers had breached the email accounts of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, in advance of Raimondo’s trip to China.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who has been critical of the Chinese government, said he was also breached by the hackers..

Chinese government officials have responded to the hacking allegations by accusing the US government of conducting cyberattacks against China.