In a significant development, US prosecutors have brought charges against 12 Chinese nationals, accusing them of involvement in a purported hacking operation that allegedly sold information about US-based dissidents to the Chinese government.
According to the Justice Department (DOJ), the operation, described as “state-sponsored,” also focused on government agencies such as the Treasury.
According to the statement, hackers have reportedly set their sights on an American religious organisation and a newspaper based in Hong Kong.
China has yet to address these particular allegations, although it has previously rejected other accusations.
In December, the Treasury Department disclosed a significant breach attributed to hackers backed by China, revealing they gained access to employee workstations and certain unclassified documents.
During that period, China refuted the allegations, labelling them as “baseless” and asserting its steadfast opposition to all hacking activities.
The timing of the latest charges from the Department of Justice remains uncertain; however, they were made public in a federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday.
Two officers from China’s Ministry of Public Security face charges.
The Department of Justice reported that hackers, allegedly linked to a private company named i-Soon, billed Chinese agencies amounts ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 for each compromised email inbox.
Reports indicate that the individuals in question purportedly engaged in computer intrusions, both under the guidance of Chinese ministries and independently, and were reportedly compensated significantly for the data they acquired unlawfully.
“Today, we reveal the involvement of Chinese government agents in orchestrating and promoting indiscriminate and reckless cyberattacks on computers and networks across the globe,” stated Sue J Bai, the head of the DOJ’s National Security Division.
“We remain committed to dismantling this network of cyber mercenaries and safeguarding our national security,” she stated.
Details regarding the targeted dissidents based in the United States remain undisclosed.
A religious organisation targeted by hackers has been characterised as one that “previously sent missionaries to China and was openly critical of the PRC government.” The acronym PRC stands for the People’s Republic of China.
A newspaper based in Hong Kong was included on the list. Though lacking a specific name, the statement indicated that the subject was “considered as being opposed to the PRC government.”
In addition to US agencies, reports indicate that hackers have also focused on the foreign ministries of Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia.
In October of the previous year, the FBI, alongside the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, reported that cyberattacks aimed at two prominent US presidential campaigns were executed by individuals linked to the People’s Republic of China.
In a significant development from earlier last year, authorities charged seven Chinese nationals with orchestrating a hacking operation that spanned a minimum of 14 years, specifically aimed at foreign critics of China.
Western governments have connected operations attributed to China with attempts to infiltrate the UK’s Electoral Commission and the parliaments of both the UK and New Zealand.
The US State Department has announced a significant initiative within its ongoing rewards programme, offering up to $10 million for information regarding i-Soon, its employees, and Chinese officials involved in malicious cyber activities, as detailed in recent indictments from the Department of Justice.
