US Has Charged 12 Chinese Nationals of Hacking US Firms

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US prosecutors have charged 12 Chinese nationals for being part of an alleged hacking scheme, which sold data of US-based dissidents to the Chinese government.
However none of the 12 defendants are in US custody.

These alleged criminals include two officers of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) Ministry of Public Security (MPS), eight employees of an ostensibly private PRC company, Anxun Information Technology Co. Ltd.

The charges are the first major hacking-related national security case brought under President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, though the investigation began long before Trump took office.

Federal officials accused 10 of collaborating to steal data from their targets. Eight of the suspects worked for the company known as Anxun Information Technology, better known as i-Soon, and two worked for the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

The "state-sponsored" operation also targeted government agencies including the Treasury, according to the Justice Department (DOJ).

Hackers also allegedly targeted an American religious organisation, and a newspaper in Hong Kong, the statement added.

China has not responded to these specific allegations, but have strongly denied other accusations in the past.

In December 2024, the Treasury Department reported a breach by Chinese sponsored hackers, saying they were able to access employee workstations and some unclassified documents.
At that time, China denied any involvement, calling the accusation "baseless" and saying it "consistently opposes all forms of hacking".

It is unclear when the latest DOJ charges were issued, but they were unsealed in a federal court in Manhattan recently.

Who is being charged?

Among the individuals charged were two officers of China's Ministry of Public Security.

The DOJ said that hackers, which appeared to represent a private company, i-Soon, charged Chinese agencies between $10,000 and $75,000 for each "exploited" email inbox.

They allegedly "conducted computer intrusions" under the direction of Chinese ministries and on their own initiative, and were "paid handsomely for stolen data".

"Today, we are exposing the Chinese government agents directing and fostering indiscriminate and reckless attacks against computers and networks worldwide," said Sue J Bai, who heads the DOJ's National Security Division.

"We will continue to fight to dismantle this ecosystem of cyber mercenaries and protect our national security," she added.

No further details on the targeted US-based dissidents were provided.

U.S. Department of Justice     |     BBC     |     CNN     |     NBC News
Reuters     |     The Hacker News

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