00:03A major cyber confrontation between Washington and Beijing is escalating.
00:09The United States says it has disrupted a Chinese hacking operation accused of targeting
00:15some of America's most sensitive institutions.
00:19The alleged targets include the US Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and
00:26the US Senate.
00:26Investigators say the campaign was not limited to government networks.
00:32The US Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, and National Institutes
00:38of Health were also identified among the alleged victims.
00:42Four companies in the United States and South Korea were reportedly targeted as well.
00:48The Justice Department says the operation relied on two hacking platforms known as QSCAN and
00:55QTR Router.
00:57And now Washington has moved to seize the digital infrastructure allegedly used to support the
01:04campaign.
01:05The Justice Department says it seized domains connected to QSCAN and QTR Router.
01:12According to a federal affidavit, those platforms were allegedly used by hackers to scan vulnerable
01:18networks and conduct intrusions.
01:21Investigators linked the infrastructure to Nanjing Xinjiewei Network Technology Company, a China-based
01:28firm.
01:29US authorities allege that the company's clients included China's Ministry of State Security
01:35and the People's Liberation Army.
01:37That claim places the hacking campaign at the center of a much wider national security confrontation.
01:44The alleged operation reportedly targeted critical infrastructure, government agencies, businesses,
01:51and other sensitive networks around the world.
01:54But investigators also acknowledge an important detail.
01:58Not every attempted intrusion succeeded.
02:01The alleged hacking campaign stretches back years.
02:05According to the federal affidavit, hackers used their tools against critical infrastructure
02:10and sensitive networks from at least 2018.
02:14One of the most striking cases involved NASA.
02:17In August 2019, the hackers allegedly attempted to gain access to NASA networks by targeting
02:25a vulnerability in a virtual private network.
02:28The attempt was unsuccessful, but investigators say the operation continued.
02:33By September 2024, hackers had allegedly breached three unnamed energy department laboratories.
02:40The National Institutes of Health was also reportedly targeted.
02:44The alleged campaign reached far beyond NASA and government departments.
02:49A joint advisory from the FBI, NSA, and U.S. Cyber Command's Cyber National Mission Force
02:56detailed multiple hacking efforts over the years.
03:00Investigators said hackers successfully stole data from unnamed defense contractors, financial
03:05institutions, and universities in May 2024.
03:09That raises the stakes considerably.
03:12Defense contractors can hold sensitive military information.
03:16Financial institutions can provide access to critical economic data.
03:21And universities can possess valuable research and advanced technology.
03:26Then in March 2026, the hackers allegedly scanned for vulnerabilities in U.S. Senate networks.
03:33A U.S. hospital was also reportedly targeted.
03:36Those attempts were unsuccessful, according to the affidavit.
03:39The latest case fits into a much broader pattern.
03:44Chinese-linked hacking groups have previously been accused of penetrating sensitive U.S. government
03:49and private sector networks.
03:51In March, the FBI notified Congress that hackers had compromised certain agency networks involving
03:58people under FBI investigation.
04:00Public reporting later attributed that intrusion to China-linked actors.
04:05Chinese-linked hackers have also been associated with compromises involving U.S. House of Representatives
04:11committee networks.
04:13Major telecommunications companies have faced similar accusations.
04:18U.S. officials say the threat is evolving.
04:20Instead of relying exclusively on traditional intelligence operations, Chinese agencies can allegedly
04:27turn to private companies specializing in offensive cyber capabilities.
04:32Dakota Carey, a China analyst with cybersecurity company Sentinel-1, says the number of firms offering
04:39these specialized services has exploded over the past decade.
04:44Beijing is rejecting Washington's accusations.
04:48A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks
04:55in accordance with the law.
04:57The spokesperson also accused the United States of using cybersecurity concerns to smear and
05:04discredit China.
05:05Beijing says Washington is overstretching the concept of national security and using it to
05:11impose discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies.
05:15But U.S. investigators stand by their allegations.
05:19The Justice Department says the platforms seized in the operation were tied to a China-based company
05:25whose alleged customers included Chinese intelligence and military organizations.
05:31The latest operation sends a clear warning from Washington.
05:35The United States is not only investigating alleged Chinese cyber operations, it is moving to disrupt
05:43the infrastructure behind them.
05:45From NASA and the Justice Department, to energy laboratories, financial institutions, and defense contractors,
05:52the alleged targets span some of America's most sensitive sectors.
05:57But the bigger concern is what comes next.
06:00Cyberattacks do not require missiles, aircraft, or troops crossing a border.
06:05A vulnerability can be discovered thousands of miles away, a network can be penetrated silently,
06:13and sensitive information can potentially be extracted before anyone realizes an attack has happened.
06:19China denies the accusations.
06:21China denies the accusations.
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