Cyber firm: At least 6 US state governments hacked by China

By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A cybersecurity firm says hackers working on behalf of the Chinese government broke into the computer networks of at least six state governments in the United States in the last year. A report released Tuesday by the Reston, Virginia-based private cybersecurity firm Mandiant does not identify the hacked agencies or offer a motive for the intrusions, which began last May and continued through the last month. But the Chinese group believed responsible for the breaches is known to launch hacking operations both for old-fashioned espionage purposes and for financial gain. The Chinese government in the past has denied U.S. accusations of hacking.