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The hackers appeared to be targeting files on tens of thousands of
employees who have applied for top-secret security clearances, the
newspaper said.
The hackers gained access to some of the databases of the Office of
Personnel Management before federal authorities detected the threat
and blocked them from the network, the newspaper said.
It was not yet clear how far the hackers penetrated the agency's
systems, in which applicants for security clearances list their
foreign contacts, previous jobs and personal information like past
drug use.
Tensions are high between China and the United States.
The United States recently charged five Chinese military officers,
accusing them of hacking into American companies to steal trade
secrets. China showed its anger over the allegations by shutting
down a bilateral working group on cyber security.
On Wednesday, China and the United States began annual talks in
Beijing, called the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, expected to
focus on cyber-security, maritime disputes, the Chinese currency and
an investment treaty.
(Reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bangalore; Editing by Paul Tait)
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