Chinese hackers breached US Treasury systems, accessing files on Secretary Janet Yellen and other senior officials computers, Bloomberg News Reports
A cybersecurity breach orchestrated by Chinese state-sponsored hackers compromised US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s computer, exposing unclassified files, according to Bloomberg News.
The December hack, described by Treasury officials as a “major incident,” also targeted the computers of Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Acting Under Secretary Brad Smith.
Reports indicate that fewer than 50 files were accessed on Yellen’s machine. The breach exploited vulnerabilities in third-party cybersecurity provider BeyondTrust, allowing hackers to bypass Treasury Department safeguards.
Treasury officials have yet to comment on the incident, but China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated the country’s stance against cyberattacks, stating, “China has always opposed all forms of hacker attacks.”
This breach adds to rising cybersecurity concerns and intensifies scrutiny on third-party service providers responsible for securing critical US government systems.