The United States said it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation linked to breaches of several sensitive government agencies, including the US Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the US Senate.
In a statement, the Justice Department said it had seized domains used by two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, which it said were part of the campaign.
Read Full StoryThe Justice Department said the platforms were operated by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, whose clients included China’s civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People’s Liberation Army.
Experts tracking Chinese cyber activity said private contractors routinely conduct high-profile intrusions on behalf of various Chinese government agencies.
Beijing routinely denies responsibility for hacking activities.
The United States said it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation linked to breaches of several sensitive government agencies, including the US Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the US Senate.
In a statement, the Justice Department said it had seized domains used by two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, which it said were part of the campaign. An affidavit identified the US Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and four unnamed companies in the US and South Korea among the victims.
Read Full Story
The Justice Department said the platforms were operated by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, whose clients included China’s civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People’s Liberation Army. Reuters could not immediately locate contact details for the company.
According to the affidavit, the group’s computer infrastructure had been used since at least 2018 to compromise critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks in the US and around the world.
Experts tracking Chinese cyber activity said private contractors routinely conduct high-profile intrusions on behalf of various Chinese government agencies.
“Over the last decade, the number of companies offering niche offensive services has exploded,” said Dakota Cary, a China analyst with cybersecurity company SentinelOne.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing routinely denies responsibility for hacking activities.
- Ends
