In the investigation documents, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, as well as four companies in the United States and South Korea, were listed among those affected by cyberattacks.
According to the U.S. side, these platforms were operated by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, located in Nanjing, China. The Department of Justice stated that among the company's clients were also China's Ministry of State Security and the People's Liberation Army.
A representative of the Chinese embassy in Washington, in turn, said he was not aware of the specific information cited in the U.S. agency's statement. He stressed that the Chinese government resolutely opposes all forms of cyberattacks and stated that the United States is using the cybersecurity issue to "slander or defame" China.
According to the investigation documents, the hackers had been using tools they developed since at least 2018 to gain access to critical infrastructure facilities and classified networks in the United States and other countries. However, not all attacks were successful.
Specifically, in August 2019, hackers attempted to gain access to NASA networks by exploiting a vulnerability in a virtual private network. However, this attempt ended unsuccessfully.
In September 2024, cyberattacks were carried out against three laboratories of the Ministry of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, one agency of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, and a U.S. manufacturer of security devices.
In addition, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, and the National Cyber Mission Force of the U.S. Cyber Command issued a joint report on hacking activities. It noted that in May 2024, data was stolen from defense contractors, financial organizations, and universities.
In March 2026, hackers probed vulnerabilities in the networks of the U.S. Senate and one of the country's hospitals and attempted to gain access to them. However, these attempts also ended unsuccessfully.
