US Seizes China-Linked Hacking Platforms Targeting Critical Infrastructure
The US Justice Department and FBI have shut down two hacking platforms allegedly used by China state-sponsored hackers to target US critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks.
The platforms, QScan and QTRouter, were seized on August 26, according to the DOJ. The platforms were allegedly used by a group identified as QTFY, which was employed by the Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company in China.
The alleged targets included NASA, the Federal Reserve, the departments of Justice, Energy and Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the US Senate. The platforms were also used to target hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, financial institutions, defense contractors, and four unnamed companies in the US and South Korea.
The DOJ said QScan searched for and infected thousands of internet-connected devices worldwide, which were then added to the QTRouter network. QTRouter was designed to hide the source of malicious activity, making it appear to come from outside China or even near the targeted networks.