The Washington Post has launched an investigation into a suspected cyberattack targeting the email accounts of some of its journalists, a source familiar with the development revealed on Sunday. The breach, which appears to be a targeted intrusion, has raised concerns over potential foreign government involvement, according to initial findings reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Preliminary reports suggest that the attackers may have gained unauthorized access to Microsoft email accounts belonging to several Washington Post journalists. These compromised accounts could have exposed sensitive communications and data related to the journalists’ work, particularly those covering national security and economic policy beats.
Among those affected are reporters who focus on coverage related to China, adding weight to suspicions of a foreign-backed operation. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, reportedly confirmed via an internal memo that the breach came to light on Thursday, prompting an immediate probe to assess the scale and source of the intrusion.
This incident comes amid heightened awareness around digital threats to media organizations, echoing a similar breach in 2022 that affected News Corp, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal. That attack had also resulted in unauthorized access to journalist emails and data, underscoring the growing vulnerability of newsrooms to cyber-espionage.