This just in: China is not our friend.
Case in point: We learned on Monday that a Chinese hacker, “linked to the Chinese government” — which means the Chinese Communist Party — has… Hacking the US Treasury Department.
A representative of the Chinese government It was recently hacked On Monday, US Treasury Department officials announced that a “major incident” had occurred.
In a message obtained by FOX Business, Ministry of Treasury The incident was disclosed to the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee. Officials learned of the violation on December 8.
The cybercriminal reportedly gained access to Treasury workstations and documents via a security key.
“Once the service provider alerted Treasury, we immediately contacted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and worked with law enforcement partners across the government to ascertain the impact of this incident,” the spokesperson said.
What was not mentioned is what questions, if any, were raised with the Chinese government about why a hacker “affiliated with China” would seek access to the US Treasury. It is surprising to note how likely it is that this Chinese hacker acted on his own; This was likely done with at least the approval of the Chinese government, if not on the orders of the Chinese government.
The affected database has been removed for now:
“The compromised BeyondTrust service has been shut down and there is no evidence to suggest the threat actor continues to access treasury or information systems.”
The news came as Chinese state-affiliated hackers continue a spying campaign against the US government. last week, The White House said That Chinese officials gained access to Americans’ private texts and phone conversations by targeting an American telecommunications company – the ninth carrier affected by Chinese hacking.
Speaking to reporters, Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger said the government was planning further actions in the coming weeks in response to the hacking campaign, but did not reveal specific details.
I hope she doesn’t reveal any details, as it appears efforts to uncover how this happened are still ongoing. China’s increasing aggressiveness is not limited to cyber piracy; They have assets on land in the United States, and many have crossed into the country illegally through our porous and unmonitored southern border. Moreover, the Chinese are clearly calling in their military forces as well.
See related: “Worst spy ever”? A drone that a Chinese student hung from a tree led to his being put on trial for espionage
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Chinese hackers appear to have been probing the edges of US government databases for some time. There was a Chinese hacking operation codenamed Salt Typhoon Involved in hacking nine Americans Telecom companies, collect call logs and private communications; Unnamed officials indicated that “senior government officials and prominent political figures” were among those whose communications were compromised. It seems unlikely that the Chinese Communist Party is not behind this.
This is cyber warfare. What does it lead to?
As we might expect:
FOX Business reached out to the Treasury Department for more information, but did not immediately receive a response.
Don’t say that.