Congressional Budget Office hacked, China suspected in breach

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 U.S. 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. Advertisement

CBO’s economists and analysts provide lawmakers with cost estimates and analysis of legislation in Congress. The office also does long-term projections for the U.S. budget and analyzes the president’s budget —