FBI will investigate Gmail hacking

The FBI will launch an investigation into the hacking of hundreds of Gmail accounts in China, among which were the accounts of some U.S. officials, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday, according to a report.

Google officials said Wednesday they were able to stop the hack, which was in the form of a phishing scam, but also said they believed the hackers monitored the Gmail activity of Chinese political activists, journalists and government and military officials from the U.S. and other Asian countries -- predominantly South Korea.

Clinton said Thursday that Google's claims were "very serious" and that the Obama administration was disturbed by the incident, according to the Associated Press.

On Wednesday, Google said the hacking campaign appeared to originate from Jinan, China, and that all of the affected Gmail users had been notified of what happened and their accounts had been made secure again.

This isn't the first Gmail problem in China. In March, Google said the Chinese government was blocking certain users' access to Gmail. The Chinese government denied those claims as well, saying Google's accusations of Gmail tampering were unacceptable.

LAMediaWatch.com