US Accuses Chinese Hackers of Breaching Justice Dept, NASA, Senate & More!

The United States government has leveled serious accusations against China, claiming that state-backed hackers have successfully breached and attempted to infiltrate a wide array of sensitive American institutions, including the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the Senate. According to an affidavit, these sophisticated hack attempts, orchestrated by a China-based firm named Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, have been ongoing since at least 2018.

The company is alleged to have ties to China's civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its military, the People's Liberation Army. While Nanjing Xinjiuwei has not yet commented, the Department of Justice highlights their role in compromising critical infrastructure globally.

The scope of the alleged breaches is extensive.

Besides the high-profile targets, hackers reportedly gained access to unnamed defense contractors, financial institutions, and universities in May 2024. Earlier, in September 2024, intrusions were carried out at three unnamed Energy Department laboratories, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an unspecified Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agency, and a U.S. security device manufacturer. Not all attempts were successful, however.

For instance, hackers unsuccessfully tried to breach NASA networks in August 2019 by exploiting a virtual private network vulnerability. These findings are supported by a joint cybersecurity advisory issued by major US agencies, including the FBI, NSA, and U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber National Mission Force.

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington firmly denied any involvement.

They stated that the Chinese government "firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law." The spokesperson further accused the U.S. of using cybersecurity issues to "smear or discredit China" and opposed the U.S.'s "overstretching the concept of national security" to impose restrictions on Chinese companies, vowing to safeguard their legitimate rights.

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