The US Treasury now says China hacked its work stations in its latest cyberattack, gaining unclassified documents, the agency said Monday.
In a concerning development for national security, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that Chinese hackers successfully gained remote access to several of its workstations and unclassified documents.
This breach occurred following the compromise of a third-party software service provider, raising significant alarms about the vulnerabilities within governmental cybersecurity frameworks.
The Breach Unveiled
While the Treasury Department did not disclose the exact number of workstations that were accessed or the specific types of documents that may have been obtained, they did communicate to lawmakers that, as of now, there is no evidence suggesting that the hackers retain ongoing access to Treasury information.
This incident is being classified as a “major cybersecurity incident,” underscoring the seriousness of the breach.
A department spokesperson emphasized, “Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems and the data it holds.”
Over the past four years, the department has reportedly made substantial improvements to its cyber defenses.
The spokesperson further assured that collaboration with both public and private sector partners would continue to strengthen the security of the financial system against such threats.
Chinese Response to Hack
In response to these allegations, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated the nation’s standard denial regarding hacking accusations.
Mao Ning stated, “We have repeatedly expressed our position on such groundless accusations that lack evidence.”
She emphasized that China opposes all forms of hacking and criticized the dissemination of false information aimed at tarnishing China’s reputation for political gain.
This incident comes amid ongoing concerns regarding a broader Chinese cyberespionage campaign known as “Salt Typhoon,” which has reportedly allowed Chinese officials access to private communications of numerous Americans.
A senior White House official disclosed on Friday that the number of telecommunications companies affected by this particular breach has now escalated to nine.
Discovery and Investigation
The Treasury Department first became aware of this breach on December 8, when the third-party software provider, BeyondTrust, reported that hackers had stolen a critical security key.
This key was meant to secure a cloud-based service that was used to provide remote technical support to Treasury employees.
By compromising this key, the hackers were able to bypass security measures and gain remote access to multiple employee workstations.
In light of this breach, the compromised service has been taken offline, and Aditi Hardikar, an assistant Treasury secretary, confirmed in a letter to Senate Banking Committee leaders that there is currently no evidence indicating that the hackers maintain access to Treasury information.
Ongoing Investigations
The Treasury Department is actively collaborating with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to thoroughly investigate the implications of this cybersecurity incident.
Although the department has attributed the hack to state-sponsored Chinese actors, they have not provided further details regarding the investigation’s findings.
This breach serves as a stark reminder of the increasing sophistication of cyber threats facing governmental institutions.
As the Treasury Department works to assess the full impact of this incident, it highlights the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures and constant vigilance in protecting sensitive information.
The ongoing investigations and responses from both U.S. officials and the Chinese government will be closely monitored in the coming weeks as the situation develops.
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