US announces sanctions against Chinese hackers for years-long cyber attack campaign
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture.
The government of the United States announced sanctions against Chinese hackers on Monday (Mar 25) after alleging that they were targeting the critical infrastructure of the nation while working for the government spy agency of China.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said that they have issued sanctions against Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd. It stated that the company has been working as a front for the Chinese Ministry of State Security that has “served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations”.
In the unsealed indictment, the United States accused China of heading a state-backed hacking programme spanning years.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the hacking operation is proof of “the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics”.
US attributes threats to cyber hacking group APT 31
Two Chinese nationals - Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin - were named by the treasury office for using cyber operations to target critical infrastructure sectors of the United States, includingdefence, aerospace and energy.
The US officials said that these threats were part of the cyber hacking group APT 31, which presents an “advanced persistent threat”.
US prosecutors stated that APT 31 was part of a groupmanaged by the Chinese Ministry of State Security, the intelligence agency of the country, based in the city of Wuhan.
The list includes state-sponsored intelligence officers and contract hackers. “APT 31 has targeted a wide range of high-ranking US government officials and their advisors integral to US national security,” said the department, in a press release.
Chinese citizens Zhao, Ni, and five other hackers were charged with conspiring to carry out computer intrusions and wire fraud by the US Department of Justice.
The agency claimed that these Chinese citizens have been involved in a 14-year-long cyber operation “targeting US and foreign critics, businesses and political officials”.
“Today’s announcements underscore the need to remain vigilant to cybersecurity threats and the potential for cyber-enabled foreign malign influence efforts, especially as we approach the 2024 election cycle,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
How did millions of Americans fall prey to the Chinese hacking plot?
Online accounts of millions of Americans were caught up in a "sinister" Chinese hacking plot aimed at US officials, said the FBI and the Justice Department.
More than 10,000 malicious emails were sent to US officialsas part of the Chinese hacking plan, which allowed APT 31 to get information regarding their targets. The information included locations and IP addresses.
The emails were sent to government officials across the world who at some point criticised the policies of China.
UK also issues sanctions, New Zealand condemns activity
The UK government also issued sanctions as it claimed that the same Chinese state-backed hackers also targeted its electionsagency and democratic institutions.
Watch:China to improve anti-hacking protections by 2026
Officials claimed that those sanctioned had hacked their systems and may have got access to the Electoral Commission's information regarding tens of millions of UK voters.
The New Zealand government also raised concerns regarding the involvement of the Chinese government in a cyber hack on New Zealand's parliament in 2021.
Both Australia and New Zealand criticised the cyber hacking activity.
“Foreign interference of this nature is unacceptable, and we have urged China to refrain from such activity in future,” said New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters, in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)