U.S. Charges 12 Chinese Nationals in State-Backed Hacking Operations

Summary: The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 12 Chinese nationals, including employees from a private company and officials from the Ministry of Public Security, for involvement in cyber activities aiming to steal data and suppress free speech globally. The group, linked to the hacking collective APT27, reportedly infiltrated various organizations, including U.S. government agencies and religious groups, while generating substantial revenue through their operations. Additionally, the DOJ has outlined the use of advanced hacking tools and methods provided by the company i-Soon.

Affected: U.S. critical infrastructure, religious organizations, government agencies, and dissidents

Keypoints :

• Charges include 12 Chinese nationals associated with the People’s Republic of China’s cyber espionage efforts.
• i-Soon, a private PRC company, allegedly conducted data theft and surveillance for the PRC government, generating tens of millions in revenue.
• Authorities are offering rewards for information leading to arrests related to these schemes, which involved sophisticated cyber intrusions using advanced hacking tools.