The Washington Post, like the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, believes it was attacked by hackers from China.
According to a report published by the Washington Post, cybercriminals first managed to gain access to the company in 2008 or 2009.
Then, in 2011, the security firm Mandiant, which was responsible for the company's systems, managed to locate a command and control server through which a group of Chinese hackers was carrying out and coordinating the attacks.
An employee who spoke to Krebs on condition of anonymity said a computer was turned over to the National Security Agency and the Defense Department for forensic analysis, but Washington Post spokespeople say they are “confident of what happened.”
Krebs says the Washington Post uses Symantec security software, just like the New York Times. Symantec representatives, of course, argued that organizations should make sure their systems are properly protected, claiming that their software is not at fault.
Chinese officials have not commented on the allegations. However, in the case of the NYT and WSJ, they have strongly denied any involvement, claiming that the country's laws prohibit hacking.
In response to the numerous cyberattacks originating from China, the US government is seriously considering taking more aggressive action.
Anonymous sources from the US government have revealed that once the National Intelligence report is released, the Obama administration could impose sanctions, such as canceling US residency permits, etc.
