The Washington Free Beacon published the news earlier today that an isolated network in The White House Military Office was attacked by hackers apparently located from within China. The hackers used spear phishing, an email spoofing technique.
The attack comes amid heightened concerns regarding negotiations occurring in Asia. China and Japan—the United States’ closest ally in Asia and a defense treaty partner—are locked in a heated maritime dispute over the Senkakus, which China claims as its territory.
According to the Free Beacon story, a White House official described the type of attack as “not infrequent” and said there were unspecified “mitigation measures in place.” According to the official, there was no impact or attempted breach of a classified system within the office.