Chinese hackers broke into the system of the Committee on Foreign Investment in America, CNN reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. Authorities are assessing the impact of the stolen data on national security.
The hack was part of a broader hacker attack on the Treasury Department’s IT system, which is overseen by the Committee on Foreign Investment in Securities (CFIUS). In December, the agency gained more powers to oversee real estate sales near U.S. military bases.
Officials are analyzing individual documents obtained by the hackers and conducting an analysis to assess the overall impact of the stolen data on national security, a US administration official told CNN.
“Hackers also attacked the Treasury Department’s sanctions office, which last week imposed restrictions on a Chinese company accused of a role in cyberattacks,” CNN reported.
Department of Skarbu USAEPA/JIM LO SCALZO
What did the hackers steal?
While there is no evidence that classified information was accessed, there are concerns that the hackers may have collected information that could be useful to China’s intelligence services.
A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department did not respond to questions about the CFIUS hack, sharing only the department’s previous statement on the matter.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, denied that China was involved in the hacking operation
Main photo: EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
