Cyber Infiltration: U.S. Law Firms Under Siege

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Washington field office is currently investigating reported cases of cyber infiltration involving prominent U.S. law firms by Chinese hackers. This development was initially reported by the New York Times and confirmed by sources familiar with the situation.

Among the firms targeted, Williams & Connolly indicated that specific hackers managed to breach its computer systems. Although the attacks appeared to exploit a zero-day vulnerability, the firm refrained from directly pointing at China as the perpetrator. Williams & Connolly assured that only a limited number of attorney email accounts were compromised, with no indication that client data was extracted elsewhere within their IT infrastructure.

The FBI and the Chinese embassy have not provided immediate comments on the incidents. Historically, U.S. officials have criticized extensive hacking actions tied to China, with allegations focusing on the theft of American intellectual property.