The Justice Department has unveiled charges against dozens of Chinese individuals in a high-profile hacking case involving attacks on US dissidents and government agencies.
US Accuses 12 Chinese Nationals in Major Hacking Conspiracy
US Accuses 12 Chinese Nationals in Major Hacking Conspiracy
US prosecutors charge Chinese hackers with targeting dissidents and government entities
In an alarming development, U.S. prosecutors have charged 12 Chinese nationals in connection with a sophisticated hacking scheme. According to the Justice Department (DOJ), the group allegedly sold sensitive information about U.S.-based dissidents to the Chinese government, fulfilling a "state-sponsored" objective. The investigation revealed that hackers also breached several government agencies, including the Treasury, along with targeting an American religious organization and a pro-democracy newspaper based in Hong Kong.
China has remained silent on these specific claims; however, it has a history of denying charges of cyber aggressions. Notably, the Treasury Department had reported a significant security breach in December, where Chinese hackers accessed employee workstations and unclassified documents, yet China dismissed these allegations as "baseless."
The details surrounding the timing of the DOJ's latest charges remain ambiguous; they were officially unsealed in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. Among the individuals implicated in the charges are two officers from China's Ministry of Public Security.
The DOJ has indicated that the hackers were connected to a private company named i-Soon, which allegedly charged Chinese authorities between $10,000 and $75,000 for access to compromised email inboxes. The hackers are said to have conducted unauthorized computer intrusions, both under the advisement of Chinese ministries and independently, profiting significantly from stolen data.
Sue J. Bai, who leads the DOJ's National Security Division, expressed commitment to revealing the identities of Chinese government agents perpetuating cyber attacks worldwide and vowed to combat the network of cyber mercenaries threatening national security.
While specific details regarding the targeted U.S. dissidents have not been disclosed, the religious organization that was victimized has a history of sending missionaries to China and has publicly criticized the Chinese government. Additionally, the unnamed Hong Kong newspaper has been described as being against the Chinese government.
Beyond U.S. targets, the hacking operations reportedly extended to foreign ministries in Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia. This latest indictment follows previous accusations where the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency attributed hacks against two major U.S. presidential campaigns to "actors affiliated with the People's Republic of China."
This incident is part of a broader pattern of cyber threats linked to China, which has included breaches affecting critical institutions in the UK, New Zealand, and beyond.
China has remained silent on these specific claims; however, it has a history of denying charges of cyber aggressions. Notably, the Treasury Department had reported a significant security breach in December, where Chinese hackers accessed employee workstations and unclassified documents, yet China dismissed these allegations as "baseless."
The details surrounding the timing of the DOJ's latest charges remain ambiguous; they were officially unsealed in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. Among the individuals implicated in the charges are two officers from China's Ministry of Public Security.
The DOJ has indicated that the hackers were connected to a private company named i-Soon, which allegedly charged Chinese authorities between $10,000 and $75,000 for access to compromised email inboxes. The hackers are said to have conducted unauthorized computer intrusions, both under the advisement of Chinese ministries and independently, profiting significantly from stolen data.
Sue J. Bai, who leads the DOJ's National Security Division, expressed commitment to revealing the identities of Chinese government agents perpetuating cyber attacks worldwide and vowed to combat the network of cyber mercenaries threatening national security.
While specific details regarding the targeted U.S. dissidents have not been disclosed, the religious organization that was victimized has a history of sending missionaries to China and has publicly criticized the Chinese government. Additionally, the unnamed Hong Kong newspaper has been described as being against the Chinese government.
Beyond U.S. targets, the hacking operations reportedly extended to foreign ministries in Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia. This latest indictment follows previous accusations where the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency attributed hacks against two major U.S. presidential campaigns to "actors affiliated with the People's Republic of China."
This incident is part of a broader pattern of cyber threats linked to China, which has included breaches affecting critical institutions in the UK, New Zealand, and beyond.
