Feds Seize Chinese Cyber Infrastructure Used to Target US Government

Federal law enforcement in San Diego seized core infrastructure used by Chinese state-sponsored cyber platform QScan and QTRouter to target high-profile U.S. government entities and critical infrastructure.

The campaign, which began in 2018, targeted NASA, the Federal Reserve, and several U.S. departments, including Energy, Justice, and Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Senate.

QScan and QTRouter infected thousands of devices worldwide to construct an obfuscation network that masked attack origins. Federal agents neutralized both tools by seizing hard-coded domains essential for the malware's communication.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said, 'State-sponsored malicious hackers preying on America’s critical infrastructure will be stopped and prosecuted.' FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily added, 'The FBI remains relentless in its efforts to counter nation-state cyber actors, taking decisive action against those threatening the United States and its critical infrastructure.'

Bryce G. Poole, senior legal fellow with the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom, praised law enforcement for their actions. Ali Holcomb, a national security fellow at Advancing American Freedom, called for the current administration to be tough on China, stating that the Chinese Communist Party is 'weaponizing technological advances to target the U.S.'