‘Chinese’ hacking gains access to US Treasury
Date
1/20/2025 6:55:59 AM
(MENAFN) Suspected Chinese hackers gained access to the work computer of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a cyberattack last December, according to Bloomberg News, citing anonymous sources. The attack, attributed to the hacker group 'Silk Typhoon' (also known as 'UNC5221'), infiltrated over 400 government devices by exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party software, allowing them to bypass Network defenses.
The breach affected the computers of several senior Treasury officials, including Yellen, Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo, and Acting Under Secretary Brad Smith. While the attackers accessed fewer than 50 files on Yellen's machine, the overall compromise involved approximately 3,000 files, including sensitive data like Treasury employee usernames. However, classified materials and email systems remained unaffected.
The hackers reportedly targeted the Treasury’s efforts to enforce economic sanctions, but investigators found no evidence of access to highly sensitive information. Beijing has denied involvement, instead accusing the US of using hacking incidents on Chinese soil to undermine China's reputation and justify sanctions.
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