FBI investigates claims of possible Chinese military link to cyber attacks

[WhatsOnYourMind]

FBI investigates claims of possible Chinese military link to cyber attacks

British newspaper reports sources saying hackers accessed network of Register.com, which manages more than 2.5 million domain names and offers web management services

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 19 March, 2015, 2:22pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 19 March, 2015, 4:16pm

Reuters in Washington

The FBI is investigating a British newspaper's claims that the Chinese military was involved in a cyber attack on a company managing internet websites. Photo: Reuters

The FBI is looking into whether the Chinese military was involved in a cyber attack on Register.com, a unit of internet services company Web.com, a British newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the inquiry, said the hackers had apparently had access to Register.com’s network for about a year.

However, the newspaper reported that the attack did not disrupt or result in theft of client data.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said she was not familiar with the inquiry and that the agency did not comment on such matters.

It was not clear what the Chinese military would be looking for or what it would gain from Register.com’s data.

Register.com said on its website that it managed more than 2.5 million website domain names and also provided web management and design services.