REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Microsoft Corp FollowWASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Chinese hackers who subverted Microsoft's (MSFT.O) email platform earlier this year managed to steal tens of thousands of emails from U.S. State Department accounts, a Senate staffer told Reuters on Wednesday.
The staffer, who attended a briefing of State Department IT officials, said the officials told lawmakers that 60,000 emails were stolen from 10 different State Department accounts.
The staffer, who works for Senator Eric Schmitt, shared the details of the briefing on condition that he not be identified by name.
Allegations that China hacked the State Department - along with two dozen other, mostly still unidentified organizations - have strained an already tense U.S.-China relationship; Beijing has denied being behind the spying.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Persons:
Kacper, Eric Schmitt, Microsoft's, " Schmitt, Raphael Satter, Leslie Adler
Organizations:
REUTERS, Microsoft Corp, WASHINGTON, U.S . State Department, State Department IT, Department, East, State Department, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
East Asia, China, Beijing