The American authorities have announced that they have neutralized a cyber espionage operation attributed to Chinese hackers, who they claim have penetrated computer networks belonging to sensitive federal institutions, including the Department of Justice, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the US Senate.
The Department of Justice has announced that it has taken control over domains used by two hacking platforms, named “QScan” and “QTRouter”, which were allegedly used in the cyber campaign. According to court documents, among the targets were the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as four companies from the United States and South Korea, according to Reuters.
The American investigation shows that the infrastructure used in the attacks was operated by the Chinese company Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. The Department of Justice claims that among the company’s clients were the Chinese State Security Ministry and the People’s Liberation Army.
According to the American authorities, the group’s IT infrastructure has been used since 2018 to compromise critical infrastructures and other sensitive networks in the United States and other countries.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on the allegations, notes Reuters. Beijing has repeatedly denied in the past involvement in state-sponsored hacking operations.
Cybersecurity experts say that Chinese authorities often resort to specialized private companies for conducting complex information operations.