U.S. Commerce Says Its Email System Compromised

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday that Microsoft Inc. has notified the agency that its email system has been compromised.

Microsoft said Chinese state-linked hackers secretly accessed email accounts at around 25 organizations, including government agencies, in a sweeping cyberespionage campaign by a group which primarily targets entities in Western Europe.

"Microsoft notified the department of a compromise to Microsoft's Office 365 system, and the department took immediate action to respond," a Commerce Department spokesperson said Wednesday. "We are monitoring our systems and will respond promptly should any further activity be detected."