Chinese hackers remotely accessed several US Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents after compromising a third-party software service provider, the agency said Monday.

Washington

The US Treasury Department reported that Chinese state-sponsored hackers accessed several of its workstations and unclassified documents after breaching a third-party software service provider. The incident, which was dubbed a major one by the department, involved hackers obtaining a security key that allowed them to bypass certain security protocols. The department refrained from specifying the type of documents accessed but stressed that there is currently no evidence suggesting the hackers maintain access. The Treasury Department, which handles sensitive global financial data and enforces sanctions on Chinese firms, underscored its commitment to enhancing cyber defenses.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington has denied any involvement, dismissing it as a smear campaign against China. This incident follows other allegations of Chinese cyber espionage activities in the US, including a recent campaign labeled "Salt Typhoon," which targeted US telecommunications companies. Additionally, earlier in 2023, Microsoft reported that Chinese-based hackers compromised email accounts of several US government agencies.



U.S. treasury says Chinese hackers accessed department workstations

The US Treasury Department has labelled it a major incident. In a letter to lawmakers on Monday, the agency said Chinese state-sponsored hackers had gained access to government workstations and unclassified documents. On December 8, the department was alerted by a third-party software provider that the actor had gained access to a security key, allowing it to override certain security protocols. The Treasury didn't elaborate on what sort of documents the hackers may have obtained. The department oversees sensitive data about global financial systems and estimates of China's own troubled economy. It's also responsible for implementing sanctions against Chinese firms. In a statement, the Treasury said there was no evidence the hackers still had access. Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our system and the data it holds. Over the last four years, Treasury has significantly bolstered its cyber defence and we will continue to work with both private and public sector partners to protect our financial systems from threat actors. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington rejected any responsibility for the hack, saying Beijing firmly opposes the US's smear attacks against China. Earlier this year, a Chinese cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon penetrated multiple US telecommunications companies, allowing them to monitor texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, while in 2023, tech giant Microsoft said Chinese-based hackers had breached the email accounts of a number of US government agencies.

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