Intel latest to admit January hacking attack

Intel has revealed that it was targeted by hackers last month

Intel has become the latest company to admit being targeted for a system intrusion earlier this year.

The company said on Tuesday in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it was the target of an attack early last month around the same time that Google and Adobe were subject to their high-profile attacks.

"We regularly face attempts by others to gain unauthorised access through the internet to our IT systems by, for example, masquerading as authorised users or the surreptitious introduction of software," the company said.

"These attempts, which might be the result of industrial or other espionage, or actions by hackers seeking to harm the company, its products, or end users, are sometimes successful."

Intel said later that, other than the timing, there was nothing to suggest that the incident was related to the attempts to compromise systems at Google and other vendors.

Google revealed the incident in mid-January when it threatened to pull its business in China. The company alleged that groups within China had attempted to compromise systems at its facilities and those of at least 20 other companies.

Adobe then admitted that it too had been targeted by attackers and that the culprits were believed to be connected to the Google attack.

China has since denied the allegations.