U.S. investigators believe hackers linked to the Chinese government may be responsible for a cyber intrusion into an internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) computer network that contains information related to certain domestic surveillance orders, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The scope and seriousness of the breach are still unclear, and the investigation remains in its early stages. Officials are currently working to determine how deeply the network was compromised and what information may have been accessed.
According to reports, the targeted system was an unclassified network that stores information connected to communications being monitored as part of FBI investigations. While the system itself is not classified, it contains sensitive operational details linked to surveillance activities.
The FBI began looking into the issue after detecting unusual log activity within the network on February 17. A notification describing the suspicious activity was later sent to members of Congress earlier this week.
Neither the FBI nor the U.S. Justice Department provided detailed comments on the matter. The FBI declined to comment publicly, and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for a statement regarding the allegations.
The suspected intrusion highlights growing concerns in Washington about cyber espionage targeting government systems and sensitive data. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned about cyber operations linked to foreign governments seeking intelligence from American institutions and infrastructure.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident to determine its full impact and whether any sensitive information connected to ongoing investigations was compromised.
