Why Chinese hackers stole the passwords of New York Times employees

An investigation into the financial dealings of a leading Chinese lawmaker apparently made The Grey Lady the target of cyberspies

The New York Times: Hacked.
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The New York Times dropped a bombshell late Wednesday, publishing a story admitting that Chinese hackers had infiltrated the newspaper's computer systems to steal the passwords of reporters. According to the report, the timing of the attacks coincided with the Times' investigation of Wen Jiabao, China's prime minister. The paper of record had found that the lawmaker's relatives "had accumulated a fortune worth several billion dollars through business dealings." Here's what you should know:

What exactly was stolen from the Times?

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.