Ranking Member Tim Scott and House Financial Services Committee Vice Chair French Hill have expressed concerns over a cybersecurity breach at the U.S. Department of Treasury, allegedly sponsored by China. They have sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, seeking answers regarding the department's security protocols.
In their communication, Scott and Hill emphasized the seriousness of the incident: "We write regarding the major cybersecurity incident that the Department of the Treasury disclosed to the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees yesterday involving a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat actor breaking into Treasury’s computer systems and remotely accessing information maintained by Treasury users."
The lawmakers highlighted that sensitive information, including tax details and business ownership data, must be protected from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party. They described it as "unacceptable" that such an actor could access these systems.
Scott and Hill have requested a briefing from the Treasury Department by January 10, 2025. The briefing should include specifics about when and how the breach occurred, which actor was responsible, what information was accessed, any prior awareness of vulnerabilities related to BeyondTrust or other third-party providers, and steps being taken to prevent future incidents.
To read more details in their full letter, further resources are available.