Private Equity Debt Left a Leading VPN Open to Chinese Hackers

In early 2024, the agency that oversees cybersecurity for much of the US government issued a rare emergency order — disconnect your Connect Secure virtual private network software immediately. Chinese spies had hacked the code and infiltrated nearly two dozen organizations.

The directive applied to all civilian federal agencies, but given the product’s customer base, its impact was more widely felt. The software, which is made by Ivanti Inc., was something of an industry standard across government and much of the corporate world. Clients included the US Air Force, Army, Navy and other parts of the Defense Department, the ...