Chinese hackers are accused of breaking into Office of Personnel Management computer networks
Senior U.S. officials say that Chinese hackers broke into computer networks maintained by the Office of Personnel Management.
Authorities are saying that documents of federal employees were hacked. The Office of Personal Management has a system by which federal employees apply for security clearances. The system includes financial data and other personal information, according to the NY Times. Agencies and contractors often search for information to find out more details about employees. The system was hacked in March before the threat was found and blocked.
The Office of Homeland Security looked at the risks taken by hackers. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that both the federal personnel office and the Department of Homeland Security were willing to discuss risks.
On Thursday, John Kerry corroborated the report after a meeting in Beijing. The Chinese government said that they are “resolutely opposed” to Internet hacking.
The United States previous charged Chinese military officials of hacking into U.S. companies. Charges previously included theft and economic espionage.