The parent company of the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal was the victim of a cyberattack linked to China, the WSJ reported Friday.
Media conglomerate News Corp was hacked in an attack discovered on Jan. 20, the WSJ reported, with emails and documents of journalists and other employees compromised by the intrusion. Cyber security firm Mandiant, whom the company hired to investigate the hack, said the hack was likely linked to actors working on behalf of Chinese intelligence, the WSJ reported.
“Mandiant assesses that those behind this activity have a China nexus, and we believe they are likely involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit China’s interests,” David Wong, vice president of incident response at Mandiant, told the WSJ. (RELATED: US Cybersecurity At A ‘Kindergarten Level’ Compared To China, Former Pentagon Official Says)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray announces significant law enforcement actions related to the illegal sale of drugs and other illicit goods and services on the Darknet during a press conference at the Department of Justice September 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
News Corp disclosed the hack in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing Friday, and the company said it had informed the relevant authorities.
“Although we are in the early stages of our investigation, we believe the activity affected a limited number of business email accounts and documents from News Corp headquarters, News Technology Services, Dow Jones, News UK, and New York Post,” an internal News Corp email shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation read. “Our preliminary analysis indicates that foreign government involvement may be associated with this activity, and that some data was taken.”
The announcement of the cyberattack follows a speech made by FBI Director Christopher Wray in which he warned of the increasing threat of Chinese hacks and cyberattacks on American institutions.
“No country … presents a broader threat to our ideas, innovation, and economic security than China,” Wray said.
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