![\"AP](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/AP_16219624485601-640x480.jpg\")
<\/a>AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster<\/p><\/div>
\nby BREITBART NEWS<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The White House said Thursday it was looking into a cyber breach after what appeared to be a scan of first lady Michelle Obama\u2019s passport was posted online.<\/h2>\n
The fresh disclosures, which included emails to and from White House staffers, raised further concerns about the security of sensitive systems following a string of breaches affecting government agencies, private companies and the Democratic National Committee. Though officials declined to say whether the disclosures were authentic, there were no immediate reasons to suspect they were not.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said it was \u201csomething that we are looking into.\u201d The U.S. Secret Service, responsible for the first lady\u2019s safety, also expressed concern.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Obama\u2019s information was part of a batch of emails spanning from February 2015 through July 2016 and purportedly hacked from the Gmail account of a White House \u201cadvance\u201d staffer, responsible for logistics for official trips. The breach included the photo-and-information page of her passport, including passport number, birthdate and place of birth \u2013 most of which is public information.<\/p>\n
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said officials were taking a \u201cclose look\u201d at what happened. While emphasizing the need for government workers to be cautious with cyber security, he sought to downplay concerns by pointing out that the advance staffer whose email was apparently hacked was a contract worker rather than a permanent member of the president\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point I cannot announce any sort of conclusion that\u2019s been reached about the individual or individuals that may have been responsible for the cyber breach that resulted in this information being leaked,\u201d Earnest said.<\/p>\n
The Secret Service didn\u2019t say whether it had opened a formal investigation, but confirmed it was aware of the \u201calleged email hacking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Secret Service is concerned any time unauthorized information that might pertain to one of the individuals we protect, or our operations, is allegedly disclosed,\u201d said Secret Service communications director Cathy Milhoan.<\/p>\n
The first lady\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
The information was posted on DCLeaks.com, the same website where former Secretary of State Colin Powell\u2019s private emails were recently disclosed. The site says its goal is to expose the misuse of political power, and has been alleged to be an outlet for hackers tied to Russian intelligence groups.<\/p>\n
In another reminder of how pervasive the hacking problem has become, Yahoo said Thursday that hackers stole personal information from 500 million accounts, including birth dates, hashed passwords and security answers used to verify an accountholder\u2019s identity. The internet company attributed the breach to a \u201cstate sponsored actor.\u201d<\/p>\n