Chinese hackers are looting US office for foreign investments

Chinese hackers are looting US office for foreign investments

Chinese hackers have infiltrated a US government office that checked foreign investments on national security risks, as three US officials confirmed to CNN. This incident, which has not yet been reported, illustrates China's interest in spying on an office that has far -reaching powers to block Chinese investments in the United States. This happens in the middle of increasing tensions between the two superpowers.

Details of the hack

The cyber attack was part of a larger offensive of the hackers in the unclassified system of the Ministry of Finance. The attacked office, the committee for foreign investments in the USA (CFIUS), received extended powers in December to review real estate sales near US military bases. US legislators and security officers are increasingly concerned that the Chinese government or their representatives could use country sales to collect information about these bases.

consequences for national security

This incident is only one in a series of alleged cyber spy spy campaigns from China, which the US government shaked last year and which will challenge the upcoming Trump administration. Another hacker attack by China entered US telecommunications networks to monitor the telephone communication of high-ranking US politicians, including the designated President Donald Trump.

officials are now in the process of evaluating the effects of hack on national security after the finance ministry told the legislator last week. The hackers also had their sights on the finance of the Ministry of Finance, which had just punished a Chinese company in cyber attacks because of their alleged commitment. It is unclear what information the hackers ultimately captured by the computers of the Ministry of Finance.

review of the stolen information

US officials check the documents to which the hackers had access and analyze the national security effects of the stolen information. Although there is no evidence that classified data was accessible, there is concern that unclassified information in combination could provide useful knowledge for the Chinese.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Finance did not directly comment on the hacker attacks on the CFIUS, but referred to an earlier declaration by the ministry. According to the spokesman, the hackers had compromised a “third -party provider” and were able to “access certain unclassified documents from several work stations by the Ministry of Finance”. The ministry has worked with law enforcement agencies to determine the effects of this incident, and there is no evidence that the hackers continue to have access to the Ministry of Finance.

reactions from China

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, repeated China's many years of rejection of being involved in hacker operations. "During his meeting with President Biden in Lima last year, President Xi Jinping said that there was no evidence of the irrational claims about the alleged 'cyber attacks from China'," said Liu in an email.

Finance Minister Janet Yellen told CNBC that the hack "does not build up trust in our relationship" and that she had addressed this topic in a call with her Chinese colleague. Yellen leads the CFIUS, which also includes other cabinet members, such as the Minister of Defense and Internal Security. CFIUS has gained importance in recent years because the competition between the USA and China has become more complicated and also extends to business transactions in remote parts of the USA.

outlook for future measures

The upcoming Trump administration will include members or other high-ranking employees who have requested stricter measures against China based on national security concerns, including the designated national security consultant Rep. Mike Waltz and Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump's selection for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. US military and secret services already carry out offensive cyber operations against China, but Waltz demands additional action.

"America can no longer afford to act defensively in the cyber room," Waltz posted for X. "We have to act aggressively and impose costs for those who steal our technology and attack our infrastructure."