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July 15, 2025 – USA –
The Washington Post is investigating a targeted cyberattack that compromised the email accounts of several of its journalists. The intrusion, discovered on June 12 and disclosed internally by Executive Editor Matt Murray on June 15, affected Microsoft-based email accounts used by reporters covering sensitive domains such as foreign affairs, national security, and economic policy, including China-related coverage.
The breach is suspected to have been conducted by a foreign government, echoing a similar attack on News Corp in 2022 that targeted journalists working on China-related topics. Internal investigators believe the attackers accessed only journalist email systems and not broader Post platforms or customer data. As a precaution, all employee credentials were reset immediately following the incident.
Cybersecurity experts warn that email compromises pose severe risks, enabling attackers to gain access to source communications, upcoming stories, executive memos, or unpublished drafts. Journalists targeted included members of national security and economic policy teams.
The incident reinforces long-standing concerns about state-sponsored surveillance targeting media professionals. Many journalists avoid placing sensitive information in emails and instead rely on encrypted platforms such as Signal or Slack, but email remains a frequent vector for espionage and phishing. No public attribution has been made, but speculation centers on nation-state actors seeking intelligence on global politics. The Washington Post has engaged external cyber forensic teams and tightened security protocols, while notifying affected staff who were instructed not to discuss the breach publicly.
This incident highlights the growing vulnerability of journalists worldwide to sophisticated cyber threats. It underscores the need for rigorous cyber hygiene, multi-factor authentication, regular staff training, and proactive incident preparedness. Media organizations covering geopolitics remain prime targets in digital espionage campaigns.
References –
https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/cyberattack-publishers-editors-washington-post-haymarket/
