Chinese hackers reportedly breach US Treasury in "major cybersecurity incident"

Chinese hackers infiltrate US Treasury in a "major cyber incident," accessing files via a security key. Service taken offline; no evidence of ongoing access.

A Chinese state-sponsored hacking group breached the US Treasury Department, accessing unclassified files and workstations, according to media reports.

The "major cybersecurity incident" was detected on Dec. 8, when BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider, informed the Treasury Department, The New York Times reported.

The department attributed the attack to a Chinese state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor in a letter to lawmakers. The hackers allegedly exploited a security key to remotely access certain systems.

Officials stated that the affected service has been taken offline and confirmed there is no evidence the hackers still have access.

While China denies involvement, this breach follows other Chinese-linked cyber incidents, including one targeting US telecom networks. Beijing has also stressed its willingness to work with the US on cybersecurity issues.

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