Posted on Jun 12, 2015
Chinese hack of government network compromises security clearance files. How is this not a national security issue?
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The Chinese breach of the Office of Personnel Management network was wider than first acknowledged and officials said Friday that a database holding sensitive security clearance information on millions of federal employees and contractors also was compromised.
That database was breached last year by the Chinese in a separate incident and the new intrusion underscores how persistent and determined the adversary is in going after data valuable to counterespionage.
“This is potentially devastating from a counterintelligence point of view,” said Joel Brenner, a former top counterintelligence official for the U.S. government. “These forums contain decades of personal information about people with clearances. ..which makes them easier to recruit for foreign espionage on behalf of a foreign country.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/chinese-hack-of-government-network-compromises-security-clearance-files/2015/06/12/9f91f146-1135-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html?hpid=z1
That database was breached last year by the Chinese in a separate incident and the new intrusion underscores how persistent and determined the adversary is in going after data valuable to counterespionage.
“This is potentially devastating from a counterintelligence point of view,” said Joel Brenner, a former top counterintelligence official for the U.S. government. “These forums contain decades of personal information about people with clearances. ..which makes them easier to recruit for foreign espionage on behalf of a foreign country.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/chinese-hack-of-government-network-compromises-security-clearance-files/2015/06/12/9f91f146-1135-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html?hpid=z1
National Security
Espionage
International Affairs
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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I'm not concerned about blackmail or identify theft so much, but is anyone concerned with this information being used for targeted attacks? What if it's sold to the highest bidder or it was just made to look like China was behind it when a potentially worse actor could have this data? Am I paranoid or what?
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I'm not really that surprised that hacking is so easy and prevalent in a beurocracy. So much red tape to get upgrades and people.
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It absolutely IS a national security issue.
This administration may not like to call it one when they are trying to get Chinese cooperation on other unrelated issues, but the administration is being short-sighted in my opinion.
This administration may not like to call it one when they are trying to get Chinese cooperation on other unrelated issues, but the administration is being short-sighted in my opinion.
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