China-based hackers for months have been targeting federal agencies and contractors through infected emails apparently to spy on the Pentagon’s drone strategy and other intelligence matters, according to Internet security researchers.

The reported espionage employed a tactic known as spear-phishing where infiltrators, operating under the guise of a legitimate sender, email specific victims a virus-laden file or link. In this case, the hackers used email addresses from military and other government organizations, Jaime Blasco, manager of AlienVault Labs, said Tuesday.

Some emails went to employees at U.S. military contractors, he said, but declined to discuss any information related to specific victims.

via NextGov, continued here.