U.S. Indicts 12 Chinese Nationals in Global Hacking Campaign
Key Allegations
- Indictments Announced: The U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Chinese nationals for a cyber espionage campaign targeting dissidents, media, government agencies, and a religious organization.
- State-Backed Cyber Attacks: China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Ministry of State Security (MSS) allegedly employed hackers-for-hire to steal information and track critics.
- Involvement of i-Soon: A Chinese company, i-Soon, reportedly sold stolen data to government agencies and trained hackers.
Major Targets
- U.S. Entities: The New York Assembly, multiple news outlets, and human rights organizations.
- International Targets: A Hong Kong newspaper, Taiwan’s foreign ministry, and agencies in India, South Korea, and Indonesia.
- Religious Groups: Organizations promoting religious freedom and critical of the Chinese government.
Key Accused Individuals
- Zhou Shuai & Yin Kecheng: Members of Advanced Persistent Threat 27 (APT27), accused of long-term cyber intrusions since 2013, including hacking the U.S. Treasury Department.
- Financial Motives: i-Soon allegedly charged between $10,000 and $75,000 per hacked email inbox.
U.S. Response & Bounties
- FBI & State Department Rewards:
- Up to $10 million for information on MPS officers and i-Soon employees.
- Up to $2 million for Zhou and Yin’s capture.
- Government Condemnation: Officials stress China’s role in harboring cybercriminals conducting espionage against the U.S. and allies.
The indictments highlight growing cyber threats from state-backed hackers and reinforce the U.S. government’s stance on countering foreign cyber espionage. The case underscores the need for international cooperation to combat cybercrime and protect democratic institutions.
