Of all the ways for China, Russia, Iran, Israel, etc. to get access to sensitive data like this, these events feel like they’re by a wide margin the most likely way for them to do so.
These people are going to cut corners and be sloppy and stuff is just going to end up on USB keys and whatnot.
but isn't this three more stages past that, already? Isn't it that Equifax and US Security Clearance System and the private secure Phone System for Senators and a long list of other things already cracked wide open? Because loyal DC bureaucrats with zero coding IT skills, sub-sub-sub contracted the real work then swapped contractors ump-teen times already, with the resulting systems all "super extra secret" black box except the right checks come out without fail?
On the extreme other hand, motivated World's Richest Man gets the inner keys in two weeks to all DC payment process flows ?
Make no mistake, this is disaster in the making, and lets get some details in the sunlight IMHO. but it seems laughable to claim that "China might get more info" when China (and a few others) already have been shown to run circles around core DC IT.
These people are going to cut corners and be sloppy and stuff is just going to end up on USB keys and whatnot.