Congressional Budget Office hacked, China suspected in breach

A sign identifies the offices of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the Ford House Office Building in Washington DC, on 13 March 2017. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Shutterstock

The Congressional Budget Office has been hacked, potentially exposing its communications with the offices of lawmakers, according to an email sent to congressional staff this week and obtained by CNN.

The email from the Senate sergeant at arms did not name a culprit, but a US official briefed on the hack told CNN on Thursday that Chinese state-backed hackers are suspected of being behind the breach. The email said the hacking incident was “ongoing” and that staffers should avoid clicking on links sent from CBO accounts because the accounts may still be compromised.

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