U.S. says Chinese hackers accessed DOJ, NASA, other sensitive agencies

The United States announced on Wednesday that it had thwarted a Chinese hacking operation targeting numerous sensitive government agencies, including the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Senate, and several others. According to a Justice Department statement, investigators had dismantled domains linked to two hacking platforms, "QScan" and "QTRouter," which were instrumental in the campaign.

An affidavit identified several additional victims of the hacking group, which included the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and four unnamed entities in the U.S. and South Korea. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Beijing is known for routinely denying accusations of hacking activities.

The Justice Department revealed that the hacking platforms were operated by a Chinese-based firm, Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. The company's clientele, as stated by the affidavit, encompassed China's civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People's Liberation Army. However, Reuters was unable to locate contact information for Nanjing Xinjiuwei.

The affidavit indicated that the group's computer infrastructure had been utilized to infiltrate critical infrastructure and other highly sensitive networks within the U.S. and globally since at least 2018. Experts specializing in Chinese cyber activity concur that private contractors frequently execute high-profile intrusions on behalf of various Chinese government entities.

Dakota Cary, a China analyst at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, noted that the market for specialized offensive services has grown exponentially over the past decade.