London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp hacked in cyber attack believed to be linked to China

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp hacked in cyber attack believed to be linked to China

Investigators believe the cyber attack was linked to China and affected a limited number of individuals working for outlets including News UK - publisher of The Times and The Sun - and the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.

Journalists at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp have had data stolen after the company was hacked.

Investigators believe it was linked to China and affected a limited number of individuals working for outlets including News UK - publisher of The Times and The Sun - and the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.

The company said in a regulatory filing it discovered the breach on 20 January and an investigation is under way "to determine its nature, scope, duration and impacts".

Customer and financial data have not been impacted, and News Corp's operations had not been interrupted.

In an email to staff, the company said the hack "affected a limited number" of email accounts and documents from News Corp headquarters, News Technology Services, Dow Jones, News UK, and the New York Post.

"Our preliminary analysis indicates that foreign government involvement may be associated with this activity and that some data was taken," the email said.

"Our highest concern is the protection of our employees, including our journalists, and their sources," it added, saying it believed the "threat activity is contained".

The company's affected are owned by Rupert Murdoch


How has the attack been linked to China?


David Wong of consulting at cybersecurity firm Mandiant, which is examining the hack, said the hackers were believed to have "a China nexus, and we believe they are likely involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit China's interests".

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this week, the FBI said it opens investigations tied to suspected Chinese espionage operations about every 12 hours and currently has more than 2,000 probes open.

Director Christopher Wray said Chinese government hackers have been pilfering more personal and corporate data than all other countries combined.

While customer data wasn't stolen on this occasion, a major concern is the data taken from the company's journalists, who are in constant contact with sources of sensitive information.

It was not known when the hackers breached the network or how much data they stole.

Runa Sandvik, former director of information security at The New York Times, said that while major newsrooms have shown a lot of progress in the last few years in helping their journalists navigate the digital world, those efforts are not adequate to defend against a skilled and determined adversary.

News Corp's assets also include the publishing house HarperCollins, News Corp Australia and Storyful, which the email to employees said were apparently not targeted by the hackers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×