Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached the US Treasury Department&rsquo;s network earlier this month, gaining access to several employee workstations and unclassified files, a department spokesperson&nbsp;said.
The breach, revealed in a letter to lawmakers, was facilitated through a compromised third-party cybersecurity provider, BeyondTrust. Hackers exploited a digital key from BeyondTrust to override parts of the Treasury&rsquo;s systems.
&ldquo;The compromised BeyondTrust service has been taken offline, and there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.
This follows media reports that Chinese state-sponsored hackers had breached three major US telecommunications firms in an operation dubbed &ldquo;Salt Typhoon&rdquo; earlier this month. That breach allowed cybercriminals to intercept lawmakers&rsquo; phone calls and text messages.
Upon learning of the breach, the Treasury department contacted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, and third-party forensic investigators to assess the extent of the damage. The department expects to release a detailed supplemental report in 30 days.
&ldquo;Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems and the data they hold,&rdquo; the spokesperson added. &ldquo;Over the last four years, we have significantly bolstered our cyber defences and will continue working with private and public sector partners to protect the financial system.&rdquo;
BeyondTrust acknowledged the incident on its website, confirming that a limited number of customers using its remote support software were affected. The company said it is investigating the breach and addressing the compromised digital key.
China&rsquo;s embassy in Washington denied involvement, dismissing the allegations as &ldquo;smear attacks&rdquo; without evidence.

Cybersecurity vendor acknowledges incident, Chinese Embassy denies involvement

Chinese Hackers Breach US Treasury Network

Cybersecurity vendor acknowledges incident, Chinese Embassy denies involvement

December 31, 2024 | 11:06 IST