US disrupts China-linked hacking operation targeting NASA, Fed and other sensitive networks
The United States has disrupted a China-linked hacking operation responsible for intrusions and attempted breaches of sensitive government and private networks, including those of the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the Senate, Reuters reported.
The U.S. Justice Department said it seized domains used by two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, as part of the operation.
According to a court affidavit, other victims included the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and four unnamed companies in the United States and South Korea.
The Justice Department said the platforms were operated by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. Its clients allegedly included China’s Ministry of State Security, the country’s civilian intelligence agency, and the People’s Liberation Army.
According to U.S. authorities, the hackers have targeted critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks in the United States and elsewhere since at least 2018. Not all of the attempts were successful.
In 2024, the hackers successfully stole data from unnamed U.S. defense contractors, financial institutions and universities, according to a joint cybersecurity advisory from the FBI, National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was not familiar with the specifics of the case but that Beijing “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks.” It accused the United States of using cybersecurity issues to “smear or discredit China.”
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