US Seizes Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers' Infrastructure in Major Cyber Operation

US authorities have seized key infrastructure used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to target high-profile US government entities and critical infrastructure. The hacking campaign, which began in 2018, included targets such as NASA, the Federal Reserve, and various US departments.

The US Department of Justice and FBI announced last week that they had obtained court-authorized domain seizures targeting QScan and QTRouter, two cyber platforms linked to a Chinese group known as QTFY. Officials said these platforms worked with Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Co. to provide hacking services to Chinese intelligence and military arms.

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

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said this sends a message to hackers worldwide: 'State-sponsored malicious hackers preying on America’s critical infrastructure will be stopped and prosecuted.”