Chinese hackers breached Treasury Department, agency says

Chinese state-sponsored actors hacked into the Treasury Department in early December, accessing unclassified documents from its workstations, the agency said in a letter to lawmakers Monday.

The hackers stole a key from a third-party software service provider, BeyondTrust, and used it to override security and gain access to Treasury Department workstations, according to the letter, which was obtained by The Hill.

The agency is no longer using the compromised service, and there is no evidence the hackers still have access to Treasury Department information, it noted.

“Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems, and the data it holds,” the agency said in a statement.

“Over the last four years, Treasury has significantly bolstered its cyber defense, and we will continue to work with both private and public sector partners to protect our financial system from threat actors,” it continued.

The agency is working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, the intelligence community and third-party investigators to examine the incident, according to Monday's letter.

It said it would supply lawmakers with additional information in 30 days — a requirement under current law for major cybersecurity incidents.

A spokesperson for Senate Banking Committee ranking member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a statement that the senator has requested a briefing about the hack and is “closely monitoring the situation.”

Rebecca Beitsch contributed to this report.

Updated at 5:43 p.m. EST

Topics

China’s Hack of U.S. Treasury Breached Sanctions Office

The cyberattack reported earlier this week reached into the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Office of Financial Research, sections of the agency that oversee economic penalties against ...
Inc. - 2h
Watch live: Las Vegas Police Department gives update on Cybertruck explosion

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) will brief the press Thursday afternoon on their investigation into a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded early Wednesday morning in front of ...
The Hill - 2h
GOP lawmakers request Yellen briefing on Chinese hackers' Treasury breach

Republican lawmakers are swiftly urging the Treasury Department to provide answers on a recent cybersecurity attack from China that infiltrated various workstations, as outlined in ...
The Hill - 3h
Suspected Chinese underwater spy drone found by fishermen

Officials said the drone was not armed, but the police report listed "potential national security implications" as one significance of its recovery.
CBS News - 7h
Chinese government hackers targeted US Treasury office that administers sanctions – report

Treasury disclosed hack earlier this week, with Washington Post reporting targets were Office of Foreign Assets Control and Office of Financial Research. Chinese government hackers breached the US ...
The Guardian - 16h
FBI seizes most homemade explosives in agency history

Federal prosecutors say FBI agents recovered a stash of more than 150 homemade explosives at a home in Virginia.
CBS News - 1d
Justice Department asks Supreme Court to reinstate anti-money laundering law

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency order reinstating a federal anti-money laundering law as a legal battle plays out in a lower court. Passed in 2021, the ...
The Hill - 1d