The United States has announced a major cybersecurity operation against what officials describe as a long-running Chinese-linked hacking campaign that targeted some of the country's most sensitive government departments and institutions.
The Department of Justice said it had seized internet domains connected to two platforms, known as QScan and QTRouter, which investigators allege were used to support cyber intrusions against U.S. government agencies, research institutions and private companies.
According to American authorities, the operation forms part of a broader effort to dismantle infrastructure used by hackers believed to have been active for years.
Court documents released by the authorities indicate that the hackers allegedly sought access to a number of high-profile organisations, including the Department of Justice, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Senate.
Investigators also identified the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health among entities affected by the campaign. Several private-sector organisations in the United States and South Korea were also listed as victims.
Officials said the hacking activity appeared to focus on gathering intelligence and accessing sensitive government, scientific and commercial information.
According to the Justice Department, the infrastructure was operated by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a Chinese firm that U.S. authorities say worked with various Chinese government entities.
American officials allege that clients included both China's civilian intelligence apparatus and the People's Liberation Army. The company has not publicly responded to the accusations.
Beijing rejected the allegations with a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington saying that China opposes all forms of cybercrime and acts against such activities under its laws.
The spokesperson also accused the United States of using cybersecurity allegations to tarnish China's reputation and justify restrictions on Chinese businesses.
Investigators say the hacking campaign dates back to at least 2018 and involved attempts to gain access to critical infrastructure and sensitive networks in multiple countries.
Not every operation was successful. U.S. court filings state that hackers unsuccessfully attempted to breach NASA systems in 2019 by exploiting a vulnerability in a virtual private network. Other targets were reportedly able to prevent the attackers from gaining access.
However, authorities say some operations succeeded. Cybersecurity agencies allege the hackers compromised systems belonging to defence contractors, financial institutions and universities during a series of intrusions in 2024.
In one of the more recent incidents cited by investigators, hackers allegedly penetrated networks linked to several Department of Energy laboratories, health agencies and a U.S. security technology manufacturer.
The case is the latest chapter in an increasingly tense cyber relationship between Washington and Beijing.
Over the past several years, U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Chinese-linked groups of targeting government networks, telecommunications providers, research institutions and critical infrastructure. China has consistently denied conducting or supporting cyber espionage operations against foreign governments and companies.
Cyber security specialists note that many modern state-backed hacking campaigns rely on private contractors rather than government employees directly. These firms often develop specialised tools and services that can be used for intelligence gathering, surveillance and network intrusion operations.
Analysts say the growing number of private companies offering offensive cyber capabilities has made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between commercial activity and state-sponsored operations.
The latest takedown underscores continuing concerns in Washington about the vulnerability of government and critical infrastructure networks.
U.S. agencies including the FBI, National Security Agency and Cyber Command have increasingly focused on identifying foreign cyber threats and dismantling the digital infrastructure used to support them.
While the seizure of domains linked to QScan and QTRouter may disrupt some activity, cybersecurity experts caution that such operations rarely eliminate a threat entirely. Instead, attackers often seek alternative infrastructure and adapt their tactics.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical li...
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur distri...
Cryptocurrencies are volatile, and their crashes make headlines. But does a slump in digital coins ever spill over into the pounds, dollars and eur...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia remains willing to rebuild relations with European countries but warned that any wider conflict on the continent would leave no winners, as he commented on recent diplomatic contacts with Nordic leaders and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.
Hackers have pulled off a staggering $6.3 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance, shaking confidence in one of the world's biggest digital asset exchanges and sending crypto prices tumbling. U.S. analysts suspect North Korea was behind the attack.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Deep divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine overshadowed a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on Friday, as European officials criticised Moscow's participation and refused to join a traditional group photograph with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body responsible for monitoring money laundering and terrorist financing risks, has removed four countries from its so-called “grey list” after determining they had made sufficient progress in addressing weaknesses in their financial cr
The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 5,000, according to government figures released on Friday, as health authorities continue to struggle to contain the country's worst-ever Ebola epidemic.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment