FBI Disrupts Chinese Hacking Campaign Targeting NASA, DOE, and U.S. Senate

The FBI and Justice Department say they disrupted a Chinese government-backed hacking campaign that targeted sensitive U.S. government and critical infrastructure networks for years. The group, known as QTFY, has been linked to computer intrusion activity dating back to at least 2018.

According to the Justice Department, QTFY’s identified targets included NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Senate. Hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, and defense contractors were also targeted.

The group reportedly used two connected platforms, QScan and QTRouter. QScan infected internet-connected devices, while QTRouter used compromised devices and other infrastructure to disguise the origin of attacks. Court-authorized seizures of three domains hard-coded into the malware made both platforms inoperable.

The court documents describe intrusions at three Energy Department laboratories, NIH, and an HHS agency in September 2024. They also describe an attempted NASA intrusion in 2019, while noting that the available records do not establish whether that effort succeeded. The documents identify the U.S. Senate among QTFY’s targets but do not detail the extent of any compromise.

Attorney General Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s former personal criminal defense attorney, said the operation reflects the department’s effort to take offensive action against state-sponsored cyber threats. The FBI and NSA also released a cybersecurity advisory with indicators of compromise.

For individuals and organizations, the warning is practical: update internet-connected devices, replace default passwords, enable multifactor authentication, and review unusual network activity. Businesses should consult the advisory and share relevant findings with security teams.

Cybersecurity threats rarely stop at one agency or company. What steps is your neighborhood, workplace, or school taking to protect connected systems?

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice; ABC News.