Chinese hackers breach US Treasury in 'major cybersecurity incident': Report

HAMILTON, Canada

A Chinese state-sponsored hacking group infiltrated the US Treasury Department, gaining unauthorized access to government workstations and unclassified documents, a media report said Monday.

The breach, described as a "major cybersecurity incident" by the Treasury Department, was discovered on Dec. 8 when BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider, alerted the agency, said The New York Times.

"Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor," the department said in a letter to lawmakers.

The hackers reportedly used a security key to gain remote access to certain systems.

According to media reports, Treasury officials further confirmed that the compromised service had been taken offline, adding "there is no evidence that the Chinese state actor still has access to Treasury information."

While China denies involvement in such attacks, the latest breach comes after revelations of other Chinese-linked cyber incidents, including a breach targeting US telecom networks.

China also emphasized efforts to collaborate with the US on cybersecurity issues.