China could use stolen data to identify our spies, fears US

Washington: China could use the records of millions of merican federal workers and contractors that were stolen by a hacker to identify American intelligence officers posted in China, fear officials close to the corridors of power in Washington D.C.The New York Times has, in a report, quoted the officials, as saying that the potential exposure of intelligence officers could prevent a large cadre of American spies from ever being posted abroad again.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has announced charges against Chinese army personnel for hacking into American companies including Westinghouse, United States Steel and Alcoa.

Officials were furthr quoted by the NYT, as saying that intelligence agencies were taking steps to try to mitigate the damage, but it is unclear what they are specifically doing.

But intelligence and congressional officials fear that by combining the stolen data with information they have gathered over time, they could draw conclusions about the identities of operatives.