Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers Target US Critical Infrastructure

A Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, known as QTFY, has been linked to computer intrusions on several high-profile US targets. According to a court filing, these targets include the Federal Reserve, NASA, the Department of Justice, and other federal agencies.

The hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, were used to target critical infrastructure and sensitive networks, including those operated by hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, financial institutions, and defense contractors. Other targeted agencies include the Energy Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the National Institutes of Health.

The DOJ stated that QTFY was employed by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a China-based company, and that its paying customers include the People's Republic of China's Ministry of State Security and the People's Liberation Army. The department seized internet domains used for the hacking platforms, rendering them inoperable.

The announcement comes after the sentencing of John Harold Rogers, a former senior advisor to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, who was sentenced to 38 months in prison for making false statements to federal investigators about sharing restricted information with Chinese intelligence operatives.