WASHINGTON - The United States said Wednesday it had interrupted computer intrusions by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, naming NASA, the Federal Reserve and the Senate among the victims.
The Department of Justice, which was also targeted, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the seizure of internet domains used to attack critical U.S. infrastructure and other sensitive networks.
Citing documents unsealed in a California federal court, the department and the FBI said the domains used for hacking platforms, known as "QScan" and "QTRouter," were operated by a Chinese state-sponsored group.
They said the group, called "QTFY," was employed by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Co.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement the seizure is "the latest in a series of technical operations to dismantle indiscriminate hacking activities sponsored by the People's Republic of China."
The Justice Department did not detail the damage to the targeted agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the department of energy, and health and human services. It said U.S. and South Korean companies were also targeted.
The hacking group, established in 2018, is affiliated with the technology company, which carries out cyberoperations linked to China and has business relationships with units of the country's Ministry of State Security, according to the U.S. government.
The U.S. announcement came about a month before President Donald Trump's planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, where artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies are likely to top the agenda.
