U.S. Treasury hit with Cyberattack

December 8, 2024 - The U.S. Treasury Department recently confirmed a significant cyberattack where Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached its computer security systems, accessing some unclassified documents. This incident has been described by the Treasury as a "major incident." The hackers reportedly exploited a security key from a third-party cybersecurity service provider, BeyondTrust, to gain access to Treasury workstations.

The Treasury Department was made aware of the breach on December 8, 2024, and has since taken steps to secure the affected systems, involving the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and third-party forensic investigators to assess the full impact of the breach. A detailed report is expected to be provided to Congress within 30 days from the notification date.

China has denied involvement in the attack, with a Chinese Embassy spokesperson calling the accusations baseless. This incident adds to the ongoing cybersecurity tensions between the U.S. and China, highlighting vulnerabilities in government systems and the potential risks to national security information.