AssetID: 54408198
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury Department, Access Unclassified Documents
Caption: Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury Department, Access Unclassified Documents. Chinese hackers infiltrated multiple U.S. Treasury Department workstations and accessed unclassified documents through a compromised third-party software provider, Treasury officials disclosed on Monday, CBS News reports. Details on the number of accessed workstations and the nature of stolen documents remain unclear, but officials confirmed the incident is under investigation as a "major cybersecurity incident.” In a letter to lawmakers, Treasury stated there is "no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access" to sensitive department information. A Treasury spokesperson emphasized the department’s strengthened cybersecurity measures over the past four years and vowed to continue collaborating with private and public partners to safeguard financial systems. China denied any involvement, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning dismissing the allegations as "groundless accusations" made "for political purposes.” The breach follows Salt Typhoon, a separate Chinese cyberespionage campaign granting Beijing access to private communications of numerous Americans and affecting nine telecommunications companies. The Treasury Department was alerted to the breach on Dec. 8 by BeyondTrust, a software provider, after hackers stole a key used to secure cloud-based services supporting employee technical needs. Using the stolen key, hackers bypassed security protocols to gain remote access to several Treasury workstations. BeyondTrust has since taken the compromised service offline. Treasury assistant secretary Aditi Hardikar reassured lawmakers that no evidence indicates the hackers retain ongoing access to department systems. The department is working closely with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to investigate, with the hack attributed to Chinese operatives, though specific details remain undisclosed. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Chinese,Hackers,Based,US,United States,USA,Treasury Department,Access,Unclassified,Documents,Discosled,Software,Provider,China,Foreign Ministry,Mao Ning,Salt Typhoon,Private,Communications,BeyondTrust
PersonInImage: