US Disrupts Chinese Hacking Operation Targeting Government Agencies

The US Justice Department announced that it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that targeted several sensitive government agencies, including the Federal Reserve and NASA. The campaign, which began at least in 2018, used two hacking platforms, QScan and QTRouter, to gain access to critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks.

The Justice Department seized domains used by the two platforms, which were run by a China-based firm, Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. The company's clients included China's civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People's Liberation Army.

Experts say that private contractors routinely carry out high-profile intrusions on behalf of various Chinese government agencies. Dakota Cary, a China analyst with cybersecurity company SentinelOne, noted that the number of companies offering niche offensive services has exploded over the last decade.