USPS Cyberattack Exposes Data of 800,000 Employees, Suspected State-Linked Hack The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) disclosed a cybersecurity breach on November 10, 2014, revealing that the personal data of approximately 800,000 employees may have been compromised. The attack, which investigators believe originated in China, had been ongoing for at least two months prior to detection. Exposed information includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive employee data. While USPS stated there was no evidence of customer credit card information being accessed, the breach also affected call center records, potentially exposing names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of individuals who contacted USPS between January and August 2014. A source briefed on the incident indicated the attack was likely carried out by state-sponsored actors, though USPS emphasized that operations remained unaffected. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe acknowledged the growing threat of cyber intrusions but noted no malicious use of the compromised data had been observed. The agency has since strengthened its security measures in response. The FBI is leading the investigation, with cybersecurity experts analyzing the hackers’ tactics to determine attribution. Former FBI official Shawn Henry highlighted the broader implications, noting that even basic personal data can be valuable in state-sponsored espionage efforts. The incident follows previous U.S. accusations against China for cyberattacks, which Beijing has consistently denied.

The Post Office is set to compensate hundreds of former sub-postmasters whose personal information was inadvertently leaked online. The data breach, which occurred last June, exposed the names and addresses of 555 individuals caught up in the Horizon IT scandal. Compensation payouts will be capped at £5,000, with victims receiving either £5,000 or £3,500 depending on whether the leaked address was their current residence. Individuals may still pursue claims for higher compensation. This incident follows the widespread Horizon scandal, where faulty accounting software led to wrongful prosecutions of numerous sub-postmasters.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) faced a massive smishing scam where a Chinese-language group tricked users into entering credit card details. Security researcher Grant Smith uncovered the breach involving 438,669 credit cards and over 1.2 million pieces of information. The victims, including military and government affiliates, were exposed to potential financial fraud. Smith’s investigation revealed server vulnerabilities, leading to a coordinated effort with USPS to mitigate the threat.