U.S. State Department’s computers hacked

Published 12 July 2006

State Department computers were attacked, but it is only revealed that the problem was not a computer virus

The State Department is investigating “anomalies” in its unclassified computer system, the agency said yesterday, declining to comment on a report that the department’s computers had been hacked. The Associated Press said the State Department detected large-scale break-ins of its computers last month in its headquarters and offices that deal with China and North Korea. State Department spokeswoman Nancy Beck confirmed only that the problem was not a computer virus and that an investigation was under way. “The department detected anomalies in network traffic and we felt it prudent to take measures to ensure our system’s integrity,” she said.