(Adds testimony from OPM head, comments from Kerry, details,
context)
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence chief
James Clapper said on Thursday that China was the top suspect in
the massive hacking of a U.S. government agency that compromised
the personnel records of millions of Americans.
The comments from Clapper, the director of National
Intelligence (DNI), were first reported in The Wall Street
Journal and marked the first time the Obama administration has
publicly accused Beijing of the hacking attacks on the Office of
Personnel Management.
"You have to kind of salute the Chinese for what they did,"
given the difficulty of the intrusion, the Journal quoted
Clapper as saying at a Washington intelligence conference.
In a statement, Clapper's office confirmed that he had
identified China as a leading suspect, although it said the U.S.
government investigation was ongoing.
U.S. officials have previously blamed the attacks on Chinese
hackers, though not publicly. White House spokesman Josh Earnest
on Thursday declined to comment on any potential suspects.
OPM Director Katherine Archuleta told the Senate Homeland
Security Committee on Thursday that personnel data of 4.2
million current and former federal employees was compromised in
one security breach and that another attack, targeting those
applying for security clearances, had affected millions more.
Some media have reported that as many as 18 million
Americans could have been affected.
Clapper's comments came a day after the conclusion of three
days of high-level talks between China and the United States in
Washington at which cybersecurity figured prominently.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday there
had been no U.S. "finger-pointing" during those meetings about
cybertheft "and whether or not it was actioned by government, or
whether it was hackers, or individuals the government has the
ability to prosecute."
Kerry also said, however, the U.S. side had made "crystal
clear" that cybertheft was not acceptable. He said the United
States believed there was a need to work with China to develop a
"code of conduct" on state behavior in cyberspace and that China
had agreed.
"It's something that we agreed needs to be addressed and
hopefully it can be addressed soon," State Department spokesman
John Kirby said on Thursday.
White House spokesman Earnest cautioned against guessing at
what response the United States might take against those
responsible for the attacks. "If there is a response, it's
probably not one we are likely to telegraph in advance," he
said.
The Journal cited Clapper as saying the U.S. government and
American companies would continue to be targets until
policymakers addressed the "lack of deterrents."
Clapper said the absence of a U.S. threat to respond to
hacking attacks meant Washington had to put its focus instead on
defense, the newspaper reported.
China has dismissed as "irresponsible and unscientific" any
suggestion that it was behind the hacking. China's top diplomat,
State Councillor Yang Jiechi, said after Wednesday's talks that
the two countries should work together on cybersecurity.
(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann, Mark Hosenball, Emily Stephenson,
Megan Cassella and David Brunnstrom; editing by Susan Heavey,
Bill Trott Andrew Hay and G Crosse)
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