Threat actors appear to have targeted News Corporation, an American mass media company, by compromising employee email accounts. The breach occurred back in January and was surprisingly not reported on until just this week in a filing to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Although some employee information has been accessed, and some exfiltrated, no customer or financial data are believed to have been involved. Preliminary investigations from cybersecurity company Mandiant indicate a possible state sponsored group behind the attack. A portion of Mandiant’s statement reads “Mandiant assesses that those behind this activity have a China nexus, and we believe they are likely involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit China’s interests.” This is not the first time China is believed to be behind attacks targeting American media companies, and it likely will not be the last.
