US authorities allege that a China-linked hacking group attempted to breach NASA and several major US government bodies, including the Federal Reserve, Justice Department and Senate, using networks of compromised internet-connected devices to hide its activity. The case matters because it highlights alleged long-running attempts to access sensitive government, health, energy and financial systems, as well as the security risks posed by poorly protected household devices.

The Justice Department and FBI said the alleged activity dates back to at least 2018 and was linked to a group known as QTFY, which reportedly operated tools called QScan and QTRouter. Investigators say targets also included hospitals, telecommunications firms, defence contractors and four unnamed companies in the US and South Korea; they allege the group worked for a Chinese company serving clients including Chinese security and military bodies. NASA said it continually monitors and protects its systems, while China’s embassy said it was unaware of the specifics and rejected accusations that China supports cyberattacks.