Earlier this month, a third-party cybersecurity service provider was compromised, allowing the actor to remotely access workstations and some unclassified documents, according to the Treasury. China has denied these allegations, with the foreign ministry stating that Beijing “has always opposed all forms of hacker attacks, and we are even more opposed to the spread of false information against China for political purposes.” Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, added that they have consistently stated their position on such unfounded accusations.
The Treasury department did not specify how many workstations were accessed or the nature of the documents obtained, but in a letter to lawmakers, it mentioned that there is currently no evidence indicating that the threat actor still has access to Treasury information. The incident is being treated as a “major cybersecurity incident.” A Treasury spokesperson emphasized their commitment to addressing all threats against their systems and data, noting that over the past four years, the department has significantly strengthened its cyber defenses. The Treasury will continue to collaborate with both private and public sector partners to protect the financial system from threat actors.
