Special to WorldTribune.com

Bill Gertz, Inside the Ring, Washington Times

Investigators conducting the probe into the Chinese cyberattack against Office of Personnel Management computer networks say the damage is far worse than Obama administration political appointees have let on. …

The cyberattack has been linked to Chinese intelligence agencies, either the civilian Ministry of State Security or the military spy service called the Second Department of the PLA General Staff, or 2PLA. A U.S. intelligence official told Inside the Ring that initial evidence indicated Chinese military intelligence is linked to the cyberstrike.

Cybersecurity analysts close to the investigation say a key signature linking the cyberattack to China was the hackers’ use of software called Sakula. The software is a remote access tool that provides wide access inside accessed networks.

Senior Obama administration officials would not say on Tuesday whether the OPM hacking was mentioned during the previously scheduled Strategic and Economic Dialogue held with senior Chinese leaders in Washington this week.

Instead, a U.S. spokesman told reporters that the general topic of cybersecurity was discussed during meetings that focused on climate change and other less-controversial subjects.

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  China, cyber attack, Cyber attack on U.S. federal workers tied to Chinese military intelligence, OPM