• US disrupts hacking operation used by Chinese hackers to breach sensitive agencies.
• Key targets included the US Justice Department, NASA, and the Federal Reserve.
• The operation utilized platforms named QScan and QTRouter, linked to a Chinese firm.

The United States announced it has disrupted a significant Chinese hacking operation linked to multiple breaches at sensitive government agencies, including the US Department of Justice, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the United States Senate. The operation's key platforms, identified as QScan and QTRouter, were seized by US authorities, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Channel News Asia.

The Justice Department detailed in its announcement that the hacking tools have been active since at least 2018 and were used to compromise critical infrastructure across the US and beyond. Specifically, QScan was utilized to compromise numerous internet-connected devices, allowing attackers to mask their origin. This allowed hacking operations to appear as if they originated locally, thus complicating attribution efforts, according to reports from Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The platforms were reportedly run by the Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, which is said to have connections with multiple arms of the Chinese government, including the Ministry of State Security and the military. Notably, the Chinese embassy refuted these claims, asserting that China opposes cyberattacks and suggesting that the US uses cybersecurity issues to discredit China, as per information from Channel News Asia.

Reportedly, while this operation marks a significant dent in the hackers' capabilities, analysts acknowledge that the seizure of these domains does not entirely eliminate the threat posed by such hacking groups. Richard Hummel, a cybersecurity expert, emphasized the tactical advantage provided by the platforms previously, enhancing the hackers' ability to conduct operations without detection, reports Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia.