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Washington Post investigating cyberattack on journalists' email accounts, source says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on June 16, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 23, 2026

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Washington Post investigating cyberattack on journalists' email accounts, source says
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(Reuters) -The Washington Post is investigating a cyberattack on email accounts of some of its journalists, according to a source familiar with the matter and an internal memo reviewed by Reuters. The

Washington Post Probes Cyberattack Targeting Journalists' Emails

(Reuters) -The Washington Post is investigating a cyberattack on email accounts of some of its journalists, according to a source familiar with the matter and an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

The memo sent to Post employees by Executive Editor Matt Murray said the intrusion was discovered on Thursday and the newspaper immediately initiated an investigation.

All Post employees had their passwords reset on Friday as a precaution, Murray said in the memo, adding that the intrusion was not thought to have had any impact on any additional Post systems or on customers.

The newspaper also forced a credential reset for all Post employees on Friday night.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the breach, said it was potentially the work of a foreign government.

The WSJ report added that staffers at the Washington Post were told the intrusions compromised journalists' Microsoft accounts and could have granted the intruder access to work emails.

The reporters whose emails were targeted included members of the national security and economic policy teams, including some who write about China, the report added.

In 2022, News Corp, which publishes the WSJ, was breached by digital intruders. The email accounts and data of an unspecified number of journalists were compromised in that incident.

(Reporting by Pretish M J, Shivani Tanna and Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru and Raphael Satter in Washington DC;Editing by Paul Simao, Matthew Lewis & Shri Navaratnam)

Key Takeaways

  • Washington Post investigates a cyberattack on journalists' email accounts.
  • The breach was discovered on Thursday, prompting an immediate investigation.
  • All employees' passwords were reset as a precautionary measure.
  • The Wall Street Journal suggests a foreign government may be involved.
  • Targeted journalists include those covering national security and economic policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the Washington Post discover?
The Washington Post discovered a cyberattack on the email accounts of some of its journalists.
What precautionary measures were taken by the Post?
All Post employees had their passwords reset, and a credential reset was forced for all employees as a precaution.
Who was potentially behind the cyberattack?
The Wall Street Journal reported that the cyberattack could potentially be the work of a foreign government.
Which journalists' accounts were targeted?
The targeted journalists included members of the national security and economic policy teams, particularly those writing about China.
Has the Washington Post experienced breaches before?
Yes, in 2022, News Corp, which publishes the Wall Street Journal, was breached, compromising the email accounts of some journalists.

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