Hackers reportedly breached Janet Yellen’s work computer last month
Tech billionaire and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, has made fun of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s computer skills after her workstation was reportedly hacked.
According to Bloomberg, Yellen’s work computer, along with those used by two of her close aides, were among those infiltrated by a hacker group in early December. The US has blamed the breach on attackers exploiting a vulnerability in the software of a third-party contractor.
Musk responded to the news with several sarcastic posts on X, suggesting that the secretary was not sufficiently tech-savvy.
“A 12-year-old script kiddie could hack into Yellen’s computer. I doubt she knows how to reboot her WiFi router,” he quipped, without elaborating how he assessed the 78-year-old official’s familiarity with computer devices.
“Maybe she clicked on the “send me 1 btc, I send you 2btc” email,” he said in another post, adding a ‘tears-of-joy’ emoji to his hypothetical scenario of Yellen falling for crypto scam bait.
The US government has identified a hacker group known as ‘Silk Typhoon’ and ‘UNC5221’ as the culprits behind the cyberattack, claiming that it was backed by the Chinese government. Beijing has denied any involvement. The Chinese have accused the US of fabricating allegations of cyberespionage as a smear tactic and an attempt to justify economic sanctions.
Yellen is set to soon leave her leadership position at the Treasury, which is responsible for enforcing the economic restrictions imposed by Washington on other nations. Hedge fund manager Scott Bessent is set to replace her under the Trump presidency.
During his confirmation hearings on Thursday, Bessent told US senators that he would be “100% on board” with ramping up sanctions against Russia, if Trump opts for a more aggressive pressure strategy after taking office on Monday.
Musk has previously criticized Yellen’s handling of the Treasury. In April 2023, he suggested that billionaire investor Warren Buffett would be better suited for the job.
