Hackers hit US Postal Service networks

Hackers have breached US Postal Service networks, leading to a significant breach of employee data.

The US Postal Service said on Monday the break-in was discovered in mid-September, according to the Washington Post. Although officials declined to comment on who they thought was responsible, hackers associated with the Chinese government are said to be high on the list.

Data of more than 800,000 employees has been compromised. That data includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and addresses were taken in the attack.

No customer data was taken, the US Postal Service said.

According to a USPS spokesperson who spoke to the Post, the attack was led by a “sophisticated actor that appears not to be interested in identity theft or credit card fraud.”

That points the finger at a state actor rather than a lone-wolf or hacker group interested in financial gains.

It comes as President Obama meets with his Chinese premier counterpart, President Xi Jinping, for discussions into cybersecurity, among other things.

China has over the years consistently denied it has attacked US networks. When the Edward Snowden revelations landed in mid-2013, it gave Beijing an advantage to defend itself, in the wake of the disclosure of the US government’s massive global surveillance operations.

As employees were notified on Monday, the FBI continues to lead the investigation into the US Postal Service data breach.

http://www.zdnet.com/hackers-hit-us-postal-service-networks-employee-data-grabbed-7000035609

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