High Stakes Cybersecurity Breach at U.S. Treasury

A cyberattack allegedly committed by Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached U.S. Treasury computers, including those of Secretary Janet Yellen and her deputies. The attack led to unauthorized access to fewer than 50 files. The Treasury Department labeled the breach, which involved the third-party provider BeyondTrust, as a major incident.

The U.S. Treasury Department has suffered a cybersecurity breach involving computers belonging to Secretary Janet Yellen and two of her key deputies, according to Bloomberg News. The breach was reportedly executed by Chinese state-sponsored hackers who accessed fewer than 50 unclassified files.

The hacking incident, which the Treasury is labeling as a 'major incident', occurred last December. Hackers managed to compromise third-party cybersecurity provider BeyondTrust, allowing them to infiltrate the department's defenses.

Despite the alarming breach, the Treasury Department has yet to issue a formal comment. China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, has stated that the nation opposes all forms of hacker attacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)