Hackers paid by the Chinese government infiltrated the computer networks of at least six state governments in the United States last year, according to a report released Tuesday by a private cybersecurity firm. The hacks, which exploited vulnerable web applications from last May and continued through February, were identified by Mandiant, a well-known American cybersecurity firm. The Mandiant report doesn't identify the compromised states or the motive for the attacks, but the firm says that Chinese group APT41, an entity known to hack for espionage and financial gain, is responsible for the breaches. “While the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has…