Chinese hackers breech US sanctions division
(MENAFN) Chinese hackers recently infiltrated the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in a significant cyberattack that occurred in December, according to a report by the Washington Post. The Treasury Department confirmed the breach in a letter to US lawmakers on December 30, attributing it to a China-linked state-sponsored hacking group, known as an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). The attack, which took place on December 8, led to the theft of "certain unclassified documents," though details regarding the specific files or offices targeted remain undisclosed.
Reports indicate that the hackers were likely focused on obtaining information about Chinese entities under potential US sanctions, particularly those related to China's involvement in supplying dual-use goods to the Russian military. President Joe Biden's administration has imposed sanctions on Chinese firms over this issue, as well as other security concerns, including alleged espionage activities by Chinese telecom companies.
In response, the Chinese government dismissed the accusations as baseless and politically motivated, emphasizing its opposition to all forms of cyberattacks and the spread of false information. This attack follows a similar incident in which a China-linked hacking group, 'Salt Typhoon,' reportedly compromised US telecom companies and gathered sensitive surveillance data.
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