The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington field office has launched an inquiry into a series of alleged cyber intrusions affecting several major U.S. law firms, according to a report by the New York Times on Tuesday.
The report, which cites two individuals familiar with the situation, indicates that Chinese hackers are suspected to be behind the breaches.
One of the firms reportedly impacted, Williams & Connolly, confirmed to Reuters that unauthorized actors had infiltrated parts of its computer network.
However, the firm did not attribute the breach to China. Williams & Connolly stated that a small number of its lawyers’ email accounts were compromised “by leveraging what is known as a zero-day attack.”
“Importantly, there is no evidence that confidential client data was extracted from any other part of our I.T. system, including from databases where client files are stored,” the firm said in a statement.
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Heightened Concerns Over Cybersecurity and Espionage
Williams & Connolly emphasized that it had acted swiftly to contain the incident and strengthen its network defenses, noting that there has been no indication of unauthorized data movement within its systems.
The firm added that additional security measures were put in place immediately after the breach was detected.
The FBI has not commented publicly on the ongoing investigation, and the Chinese embassy in Washington also declined to respond to media inquiries. The lack of direct comment from either side has left open questions about the extent and purpose of the alleged infiltrations.
Cybersecurity experts suggest that law firms are increasingly becoming prime targets for international hacking campaigns, as they often hold sensitive corporate and governmental information.
A breach of such entities could potentially grant access to confidential communications, trade secrets, or details about high-profile legal cases.
For years, U.S. officials have voiced concerns about hacking campaigns believed to be linked to China, accusing them of attempting to steal proprietary data and intellectual property from American organizations.
While Beijing has consistently denied such allegations, tensions between the two nations over cyber activities continue to rise.
The recent incidents highlight the ongoing struggle to protect sensitive legal and corporate information amid growing cyber threats. As investigations proceed, law firms across the United States are expected to reevaluate their security frameworks to guard against future attacks.
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