Treasury Department says it was hacked by China

The US Treasury Department disclosed on Monday that it was hacked by a Chinese state-sponsored actor who accessed government workstations and unclassified documents.

The breach was discovered on December 8 after a third-party software provider, BeyondTrust, notified the Treasury about a compromised security key, which allowed the hacker to bypass security protocols.

The department labeled the breach a “major incident” and took the compromised BeyondTrust service offline. Officials report there is no evidence of continued hacker access to Treasury systems.

While the FBI and other cybersecurity agencies are investigating the incident, the breach follows significant Chinese cyberattacks, including those targeting US telecommunications and government departments earlier this year.

The Chinese embassy rejected the Treasury’s allegations, accusing the US of baseless claims.