According to a senior National Security Agency official, the recent breach of Microsoft’s cloud, which led to the compromise of government emails, serves as a prime example of a traditional espionage threat. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Rob Joyce, the director of cybersecurity at the N.S.A., emphasized the need for the United States to enhance network defense against such espionage attempts, while acknowledging the persistent efforts of adversaries to clandestinely extract sensitive information from each other. He explicitly stated that the espionage activity observed was carried out by China, highlighting the typical actions taken by nation-states. Mr. Joyce recognized the necessity to defend against such threats and urged for a proactive stance to counter them, considering it an inherent part of the security landscape.
The hackers primarily targeted senior State Department officials, including Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, whose emails were pilfered in the breach. The Wall Street Journal initially reported the theft of Mr. Burns’ emails, which was later confirmed by a credible source familiar with the matter.
Gina Raimondo, the Commerce Secretary, also fell victim to the hack, which State Department cybersecurity experts discovered in June during their examination of user logs for any signs of unusual activity. Microsoft subsequently determined that Chinese hackers had gained unauthorized access to email accounts a month prior. In a recent announcement, Microsoft entered into an agreement with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to grant access to cloud computing logs to a wider range of users, enabling them to identify any atypical actions or potential breaches.
While hundreds of thousands of emails were compromised, U.S. officials categorized the attack as a targeted one that relied on a compromised security key to infiltrate specific Microsoft Outlook mailboxes. The attackers managed to deceive the system by impersonating authorization to gain access to those compromised emails.
Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, highlighted the “growing sophistication” of China during the hack, affirming the increasing complexity of their cyber operations. However, both Mr. Joyce and Mr. Smith asserted that the recent breach, although concerning, was less significant than a larger intrusion disclosed in May. This earlier breach impacted networks in Guam and other locations, placing malware within critical infrastructure and some non-classified military systems. The deployment of such cyberweapons could potentially escalate tensions between the United States and China, particularly with regard to Taiwan.
U.S. officials have clarified that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s emails were not compromised in the hack announced last week. Mr. Blinken acknowledged the ongoing investigation into the incident, emphasizing that actions targeting the U.S. government, American citizens, or U.S. companies are of deep concern, and appropriate responses will be taken. Edward Wong in Washington contributed to this report.
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