The Biden administration is preparing to publicly accuse several Chinese hackers of conducting sweeping hacks against US companies on behalf of China’s civilian intelligence service. This multi-agency crackdown is expected to include criminal charges, sanctions, and a multimillion-dollar reward for information on the hackers who are alleged to operate at the behest of China’s Ministry of State Security spy agency. The announcement identifying the hackers with names and photos is expected to be made as soon as Monday, and the hackers have been using a Chinese technology company as a front to cover their hacking activity. The British government is also preparing to accuse the hacking group of targeting UK organizations.
The US-China cyber relations are at a delicate time, with FBI Director Christopher Wray issuing a public warning that Chinese hackers were preparing to cause harm to American citizens and communities. Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured US President Joe Biden that China would not interfere in the 2024 US election, although US officials are not taking this assurance at face value. Beijing has vigorously denied US allegations of hacking and has accused the US of conducting its own hacking operations against China. The US announcement expected this week will focus on alleged Chinese cyber-espionage.
The US is expected to identify several Chinese men as working for a Wuhan-based technology company that conducts hacking operations on behalf of the MSS, China’s civilian spy agency. The hacking group, known as APT31 or Judgement Panda in the cybersecurity industry, has been found targeting various organizations internationally. Ahead of the 2020 US election, hackers associated with the group had unsuccessfully tried to break into email accounts of people affiliated with the Biden campaign. The announcement is expected to highlight Chinese cyber-espionage activities.
The announcement this week would not be the first time that the Chinese government’s cyber capabilities have been traced back to contractors working for front companies. A trove of documents leaked from another Chinese tech firm showed victims of the firm’s hacking from Tibet to Hong Kong, with clients listed in contracts including China’s police, intelligence service, and military. The cybersecurity industry is familiar with the tactics of these Chinese hackers and their targets range from US law firms to European industrial organizations and international apparel companies.
The US government is expected to publicly accuse several Chinese hackers of conducting hacks against US companies on behalf of China’s intelligence service. This announcement is part of a multi-agency crackdown that includes criminal charges, sanctions, and a reward for information on the hackers. The British government is also preparing to accuse the hacking group for targeting UK organizations. The timing of this public accusation comes amid strained US-China cyber relations and concerns about potential cyber-attacks from China. Beijing has denied US allegations of hacking and accused the US of conducting its own hacking operations.
The US announcement is expected to focus on Chinese cyber-espionage activities, with the hackers believed to be working for a Chinese technology company that conducts hacking operations on behalf of China’s spy agency. This group, known as APT31 or Judgement Panda, has been involved in targeting various organizations internationally. The leak of documents from another Chinese tech firm showed evidence of hacking activities conducted by contractors working for front companies. The US government’s effort to publicly identify and accuse these Chinese hackers is part of ongoing efforts to address cyber threats and espionage activities originating from China.
