Why were Gmail users targeted in China hack?

It would be illegal for US government staff to use a personal email account for government work, in some cases because it would not fall in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, which is meant to apply to all intra-government communication.

However, the systems used inside the US government are more secure than those for the average user. "Two-step" authentication, in which mobile phones have to be used to confirm changes to the account and logins from unfamiliar locations.

Most people think that some super savvy gmail geek employee with their hawaiian shirt and apple mac laptop sitting on some californian beach is protecting their privacy and their surfing.

One last thing. i am surprised that china bothered to hack Yahoo. All they had to ask and Yahoo would have handed over everything they had. The Shi Tao case is a case to remember with Yahoo and their treachery. I as a matter of fact hope the american military does not do business with Yahoo or its employees.

Cybercrime is big business - and like as not nowhere more so than in China, with many attacks motivated by nationalism. Danny Bradbury meets people on the frontline