Chinese cyberattack linked to U.S. security assessment breach
Chinese hackers attacked the system of the American Committee on Foreign Investment, which assesses threats to the national security of the U.S. The attack was part of a broader operation targeting the Treasury Department.
Chinese hackers infiltrated the system of the American Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS), responsible for evaluating threats related to foreign investments in the U.S. CNN reported this information, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The break-in at CFIUS was part of a larger hacking attack that affected the IT system of the U.S. Treasury Department. In December, the committee gained additional authority to control real estate sales near military bases in the U.S.
Officials are currently examining the documents accessed by the hackers to assess the impact of the stolen information on national security. "US officials are reviewing the individual documents that the hackers accessed and will do an analysis assessing the overall national security impact of the stolen information," said a representative of the American administration in a conversation with CNN.
Attack on the office of sanctions
The hackers also targeted the Treasury Department's office responsible for sanctions, which recently imposed restrictions on a Chinese company for its alleged role in cyberattacks. Although there is no evidence of access to classified information, there are concerns that the collected data may be useful to Chinese intelligence services.
The Treasury Department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the attack on CFIUS, providing only a previous statement from the department. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, denied that China engages in hacking operations.
