United Airlines (UAL) has become the latest high profile victim of internet hackers. The world’s second largest airline discovered the computer systems breach back in May and has linked the attack to a group of China-backed cyber criminals. The hackers are also thought to be behind the recent government hack carried out around the same time and the theft of medical data from health insurer Anthem. The data stolen from United includes personal information on passengers, their origins and destinations and suggests the team is amassing a large database of sensitive consumer information. Back in late May the U.S. Office of Personnel Management reported that security clearance records had been stolen, the details of which would allow hackers to identify individuals working in defense and intelligence positions for the U.S. government. The China-backed team is believed to have stolen data from at least 10 major companies and organizations in the commercial and government sectors, according to reports. United is one of the biggest government contractors, suggesting that the hackers may now be able to piece together the travel patterns of some government and military officials. The Chinese government and its embassy in the U.S. have denied involvement in the cyber attacks, saying it does not support the actions of the criminals.
Subscribe to TheStreetTV on YouTube:
For more content from TheStreet visit:
Check out all our videos:
Follow TheStreet on Twitter:
Like TheStreet on Facebook:
Follow TheStreet on LinkedIn:
Follow TheStreet on Google+:
source
