Foreign hackers, primarily from Russia and China, are increasingly seeking to steal Americans' health care records, according to a Department of Homeland Security analyst. Mark Walker, who works in DHS' Critical Infrastructure Protection Division, told a workshop audience at the National Institute of Standards and Technology that the hackers' primary motive seems to be espionage.

Walker said the hackers are seeking to exfiltrate health care data. "We don't know why," he added. "We want to know why." At the same time, he said, it's clear that "medical information can be used against us from a national security standpoint."

Any health problems among the nation's leaders would be of interest to potential enemies, he said.

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