United States Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, have been victims of a recent cyber espionage operation, according to several reports. The breach was linked to Chinese hackers and is part of an intelligence-gathering campaign targeting high-profile US government officials.
The revelations come as part of wider information disclosed by Microsoft, stating that at least hundreds of thousands of government emails may have been compromised due to a flaw in their code.
“China firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms. This position is consistent and clear,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said in an emailed response to Reuters, rejecting speculation about China’s involvement.
The State Department has declined to share further information regarding the breach, citing ongoing investigations. However, according to anonymous sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the compromised accounts did not include Secretary of State Antony Blinken or his inner circle of advisers.
The breaches raise concerns about the possibility that sensitive information regarding internal discussions and preparations for diplomatic meetings may have fallen into the wrong hands. The State Department and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are working urgently to understand the extent of the breach.
“We don’t know exactly what’s going on, but we know there’s a problem,” a US official told CNN, adding to the growing concern around the seriousness of the hacking incident.
Nicholas Burns, Daniel Kritenbrink, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo are now identified as the publicly known targets of this cyber espionage operation. This security breach led to a stern warning to China from Washington’s top diplomat.
The United States has previously labelled China as a leading adversary in cyberspace, adding tension to the already strained bilateral relations between the two countries. The recent breach has only highlighted this ongoing issue, raising the stakes for both national security and diplomacy.
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