"Hackers broke into a Gannett Co database containing personal information about subscribers to publications read by U.S. government officials, military leaders and rank-and-file soldiers, the media company said on Tuesday. ... The attackers accessed subscribers' names, passwords and email addresses, the company said. They also obtained data on the duty status, paygrade and branch of service of some readers who serve in the military. The information included subscribers to Defense News -- one of the world's most widely read publications covering the defense industry -- as well as publications aimed at soldiers serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Personal data on government officials and members of the military is highly coveted among cyber criminals because it can be used to launch targeted attacks against computer systems that hold classified information. Hackers might seek to gain control of a government computer system through a "spear phishing" attack in which they send an email that appears to be from a trusted sender. They seek to trick recipients into letting down their guard to download attachments containing malicious software or click on links to dangerous websites." - Allison Kipta from Bookmarklet