Chinese state-sponsored hackers, identified as Salt Typhoon, have escalated their cyberattacks on the United States, breaching the U.S. Treasury Department’s security systems.
Treasury Department Targeted
The Treasury described this breach as a “major incident,” revealing the severity of the attack in a letter to lawmakers.
According to Reuters, the hackers exploited vulnerabilities in a third-party software service provider to access Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents.
“With access to the stolen key, the threat actor was able to override the service’s security, remotely access certain Treasury DO user workstations, and access certain unclassified documents maintained by those users,” the department explained.
However, officials withheld specific details about the number of workstations compromised or the types of documents accessed.
Officials indicated that a significant number of Americans, particularly in the Washington-Virginia area, could be affected. However, the full scope of the breach remains uncertain.
