US Representative Don Bacon said he is among those whose e-mails were hacked in an espionage campaign that Microsoft Corp has attributed to China.
Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska and a strong advocate for US military support to Taiwan, posted on social media that the FBI had notified him that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hacked into his personal and campaign e-mails over the course of a month, from May 15 to June 16.
“The CCP hackers utilized a vulnerability in the Microsoft software, and this was not due to ‘user error,’” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Photo: US House of Representatives via Reuters.
Bacon, a member of the US House Armed Services Committee, received an e-mail from Microsoft indicating he might have been hacked and advising him to change his password on June 16, said Maggie Sayers, Bacon’s press secretary.
The FBI did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs described claims about the hacking campaign as “false information.”
Bacon posted on X that he would “work overtime” to ensure US weapons sales to Taiwan.
The hack of Bacon’s e-mails was previously reported by the Washington Post.
As for why he was hacked, Bacon wrote: “I stand against the Uighur genocide and abuses in Tibet and Hong Kong. And, I support an independent Taiwan.”
Last month, Microsoft reported that China-based actors gained access to e-mail accounts affecting about 25 organizations including government agencies and consumer accounts of individuals likely associated with these groups.
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo was among the US officials whose e-mails were breached and the e-mails of Nicholas Burns, US ambassador to China, were also breached, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced that a cybersecurity advisory panel is to investigate malicious targeting of cloud computing environments and Microsoft’s role in the breach.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS