Chinese intelligence hackers target U.S. government network, DHS says

Hackers linked to the Chinese Ministry of State Security are engaged in cyberattacks against U.S. government networks, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday.

The DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned in a new report to government computer administrators that MSS-affiliated agents are using publicly available information to conduct cyberattacks against them.

“CISA has observed these — and other threat actors with varying degrees of skill — routinely using open-source information to plan and execute cyber operations,” the report said.

Working with the FBI, the agency warned that the MSS operations involved well-known hacker tools to penetrate targeted networks that fail to patch security flaws.

“Maintaining a rigorous patching cycle continues to be the best defense against the most frequently used attacks,” the agency stated.

The cyberattacks originated in China using commercially available information sources and open-source hacker tools. The report did not specify which government agencies were affected by the cyberattacks.

One of the most serious Chinese hacks against the U.S. government was disclosed in 2015 after Beijing obtained 22 million records on government employees from the Office of Personnel Management. The records included sensitive data on government and military employees who hold security clearances — data that U.S. officials have said is being used by China’s intelligence service for espionage.