World·NewThe United States says it has disrupted a Chinese hacking operation responsible for ‌break-ins at the U.S. Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Senate and other sensitive areas of government.Affidavit said group's computer infrastructure had been used to compromise critical infrastructureThomson Reuters · Posted: Aug 26, 2026 12:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.The Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., in December. The U.S. says a Chinese hacking operation infiltrated the department and several other parts of the U.S. government and its agencies. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)The United States said Wednesday that it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation responsible for ‌break-ins at the U.S. Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Senate and other sensitive parts of the government. In a statement, the Justice Department said that it ​had seized domains used by two hacking ​platforms, dubbed "QScan" and "QTRouter," which it said had been used as part of the campaign. An affidavit identified ​the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Health ⁠and Human Services, ⁠the National Institutes of Health, ‌and four unnamed companies in the United States and South Korea as being among the hackers' victims.The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking ⁠comment. Beijing routinely denies responsibility for hacking activity. The Justice Department said that the platforms were run by a China-based firm, the Nanjing ‌Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, whose clients it said included China's civilian intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security and its military, the People’s Liberation Army. Reuters could not immediately locate ​contact details for Nanjing Xinjiuwei. 'We are not at war, but we’re not at peace either,' warns German cyber chiefChina-backed hackers 'almost certainly' targeted Canada during theft of millions of Americans' dataThe affidavit said the group's computer infrastructure had been used ⁠to compromise critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks in the U.S. ⁠and worldwide since at least 2018. Experts who follow Chinese ⁠cyber ⁠activity say private contractors ​routinely carry out high-profile intrusions on behalf of various Chinese government ​agencies. "Over the last ⁠decade, the number of companies offering niche offensive services has exploded," said Dakota Cary, a China analyst with cybersecurity company SentinelOne.