WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- China-liked Internet sites are being used to hack into U.S. government computers, including those of the Pentagon.
The Washington Post reported Thursday hundreds of unclassified systems have been breached.
"The scope of this thing is surprisingly big," the newspaper quoted a government official speaking on condition of anonymity. The incidents, part of an investigation code named Titan Rain, stretch back two or three years.
Attempted hackings from all sources of military computers last year alone reportedly numbered about 79,000, up from about 54,000 in 2003. The report said hackers gained entry into "low-risk" computers in about 1,300 cases.
It was not clear if any of the hacking attempts via China networks involved the Chinese government or were attempts by others who used the networks to try to disguise themselves.
"It's not just the Defense Department but a wide variety of networks that have been hit," an official said. Other agencies hit by the hackers include the State Department, Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security.
"This is an ongoing, organized attempt to siphon off information from our unclassified systems," an official said.
