The severity of the breach led Mandiant to recommend a complete replacement of the affected appliances.
China denies responsibility
China’s government on Friday rejected the U.S. security firm report.
A foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.
“The relevant content is far-fetched and unprofessional,” said the Chinese spokesperson, Wang Wenbin.
“American cybersecurity companies continue to churn out reports on so-called cyberattacks by other countries, which have been reduced to accomplices for the U.S. government’s political smear against other countries,” Wang said.
Mandiant’s report came ahead of a visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken aimed at repairing relations that have been strained by disputes over human rights and security.
The Blinken visit was planned for earlier this year. And was canceled after the U.S. shot down what it says was a Chinese spy balloon over the United States.
