US Charges 12 Chinese Nationals in Alleged State-Sponsored Hacking Scheme
US prosecutors have charged 12 Chinese nationals in connection with an alleged hacking operation that targeted dissidents in the United States and sold their data to the Chinese government.
According to the Justice Department (DOJ), the "state-sponsored" cyber campaign also infiltrated US government agencies, including the Treasury Department. The hackers reportedly targeted an American religious organization and a Hong Kong-based newspaper as well.
While China has yet to respond to these specific allegations, it has previously denied similar accusations.
In December, the Treasury Department disclosed a significant breach by Chinese-sponsored hackers, who allegedly gained access to employee workstations and some unclassified documents. Beijing dismissed the claim as "baseless" at the time, reaffirming its opposition to all forms of hacking.
The DOJ's latest charges were unsealed in a Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, though the exact date they were filed remains unclear.
Who Is Being Charged?
Among those charged are two officers from China’s Ministry of Public Security.
The DOJ alleges that hackers associated with a private company, i-Soon, sold access to compromised email inboxes to Chinese government agencies, charging between $10,000 and $75,000 per account. These cyber operatives reportedly carried out hacks both under government directives and on their own, profiting significantly from stolen data.
"Today, we are exposing Chinese government agents who are orchestrating indiscriminate and reckless cyberattacks across the globe," said Sue J Bai, head of the DOJ's National Security Division. "We will continue working to dismantle this network of cyber mercenaries and protect our national security."
Who Were the Targets?
The DOJ did not provide specific details about the dissidents targeted in the US.
However, it revealed that one of the victims was a religious organization that had previously sent missionaries to China and openly criticized the Chinese government. A Hong Kong-based newspaper was also hacked, with the DOJ noting that it was considered critical of Beijing.
Beyond US agencies, the hackers allegedly breached the foreign ministries of Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia.
In October, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported that hackers affiliated with the Chinese government had targeted two major US presidential campaigns.
Earlier in the year, US authorities charged seven Chinese nationals with running a hacking operation that lasted at least 14 years, targeting foreign critics of Beijing.
Western governments have also linked China-backed hacking groups to cyberattacks on the UK's Electoral Commission, as well as the UK and New Zealand parliaments.
