Chinese hackers breach U.S. Treasury Department, access unclassified documents

The United States Government has confirmed that a Chinese state-sponsored hacker successfully breached the U.S. Treasury Department, accessing unclassified documents and employees’ workstations.

The Biden administration disclosed the cyberattack on Monday, with reports indicating the breach was first flagged on December 8 by BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider.

According to authorities, the hacker exploited a security key to gain remote access to certain Treasury workstations and sensitive documents.

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“Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor,” the Treasury Department stated in a letter to lawmakers. “In accordance with Treasury policy, intrusions attributable to an APT are considered a major cybersecurity incident.”

The breach prompted an immediate investigation involving the U.S. Treasury Department, the FBI, intelligence agencies, and other investigators to evaluate the full impact of the attack.

While the compromised service has been deactivated, officials reassured the public that there is no evidence the hacker still has access to Treasury systems or data.

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