Dec 11, 2018 - Economy

Marriott cyberattack traced to Chinese hackers

Marisa Fernandez

Marriott marquis from Times Square — Photo: Eduardo MunozAlvarez/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images.

The data breach at Marriott's Starwood hotel chain that exposed the personal information of as many as 500 million customers was the work of a Chinese intelligence-gathering effort that hacked health insurers, other hotels and the security clearance files of millions more Americans, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters, from Axios' Joe Uchill: Tying the Marriott hack to the Chinese adds yet another layer of strife to the charged U.S.-China relationship, which already includes allegations of economic espionage, a Chinese executive arrested for violating trade sanctions and a burgeoning trade war.

The Chinese connection raises more doubts about prospects for a trade truce between China and the United States.

Following the G20 summit, the U.S. and China reached a ceasefire in their ongoing trade dispute after the Trump administration postponed a plan to increase tariffs while trade negotiations continue.
Trump said Tuesday he might intervene in the case of the arrest of Huawei's CFO in Canada.

What's next: The Justice Department is expected to announce new indictments against Chinese hackers working for the intelligence and military services, the Times reports.

Go deeper:

Behind the Marriott breach's "500 million affected" tally
China reportedly considers bringing back U.S. soybeans
Reuters' Chris Bring had the exclusive on the China hacking connection.

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Marriott cyberattack traced to Chinese hackers

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