The United States announced Wednesday that it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation responsible for break-ins at multiple sensitive government agencies. According to the Justice Department, the operation targeted the Federal Reserve, the Senate, the Department of Justice, and NASA, along with other sensitive government agencies. The Justice Department took control of two hacking platforms called 'QScan' and 'QTRouter' that were allegedly used in the coordinated cyberattack campaign. As reported by the Justice Department, authorities seized domains used by these platforms that facilitated the extensive cyber intrusion campaign.
The National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, and four unidentified South Korean and American businesses were listed as victims of the hackers in an affidavit filed by the Justice Department. As reported by the Justice Department, these organizations were targeted as part of the broader cyberattack campaign that aimed to compromise sensitive government and private sector information.
According to the Justice Department, the hacking platforms were operated by a Chinese company called Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. The company's client base included China's military, the People's Liberation Army, and its civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security. This connection suggests the cyberattack campaign had official backing from Chinese government entities, potentially coordinated through the private sector technology company.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the disruption announcement. Beijing routinely denies responsibility for such hacking activities, as reported by the Justice Department. The disruption represents a significant escalation in cybersecurity tensions between the two nations, with the United States taking direct action to prevent further compromise of sensitive government infrastructure.
