Unknown hackers have reportedly targeted The Washington Post, gaining access to internal email accounts, including those of journalists who cover China.
According to media reports, The Washington Post‘s editor-in-chief Matt Murray informed staff on Sunday about a “possible targeted unauthorized intrusion” into employee emails. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN, which cited an internal memo. The breach affected a “limited number” of staff, including reporters focused on national security, economic policy, and China.
The attack was discovered last Thursday. Following the breach, The Washington Post reset the email passwords of all employees and launched an investigation. The paper said no other systems were affected and that readers would not notice any disruption. Staff members told The Wall Street Journal that sensitive information is rarely shared through email. Instead, they use internal tools like Slack or encrypted messaging apps such as Signal.
Foreign links suspected
The Washington Post has not made a public statement about the reports. The identity of the hackers remains unclear. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that anonymous sources at The Washington Post suspect a foreign government may be involved.
When asked about the cyberattack, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said they had no knowledge of the incident. Guo Jiakun said in Beijing that all countries face cyberattacks, and China opposes such actions and acts against them according to the law.
German journalists call for stronger protections
The German Journalists’ Association (DJV) responded to the news by urging stronger cybersecurity for media outlets in Germany. DJV chairman Mika Beuster said the attack should serve as a wake-up call. “It must be in the best interests of publishers and broadcasters to build an effective virtual wall of protection around their media,” he said.
Beuster added that threats come not only from China but also from conflict regions like Russia and Iran, where governments try to stop free and critical reporting.
