US Treasury Department responds to cyberattack; hackers were backed by China.

US Treasury Department responds to cyberattack; hackers were backed by China.

According to Reuters, the US Treasury Department submitted a letter to lawmakers and seen by Reuters, hackers it described as being backed by China have obtained documents. The agency described the cyberattack as a “major incident.”

The letter said the hackers attacked the computers and systems of a third-party cybersecurity company, Beyond Trust, and obtained unclassified documents.

According to the letter, the hackers used a key that the company used to provide remote technical support to US Treasury offices. The department claims that the company warned them about the intrusion on December 8 and is currently assessing the effects of the cyberattack in cooperation with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington refused to accept any responsibility for the hacking attack, stressing that “Beijing strongly opposes the US’s attempt to tarnish China’s image.”