U.S. officials revise claims that government agencies were hacked by Chinese, now say they were targets
The U.S. Department of Justice has corrected a press release to clarify that several government agencies were targeted, rather than successfully hacked, by a Chinese state-sponsored group. The distinction highlights the difference between attempted breaches and confirmed compromises in ongoing cyber-espionage investigations.
Why it matters
Accurate reporting on cyber-espionage is vital for national security transparency and understanding the actual scope of foreign threats against government infrastructure.
U.S. officials are correcting earlier statements that several government agencies were hacked by Chinese hackers, now saying that the organisations were among the hackers’ targets.
In a newly edited statement, the Department of Justice said on Friday that the U.S. Senate, the Federal Reserve, NASA and others were “among the targets of QTFY,” a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group that officials identified on Wednesday during an internet domain seizure operation. A previous version of the statement said the government agencies had been among the hackers’ victims.
A note left at the bottom of the newly edited statement said that “Edits have been made to ensure this press release accurately reflects the government’s allegations in the affidavit in support of the domain seizures.”
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