The United States Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed on Monday that millions of American citizens were entangled in what they described as a “sinister” Chinese cyber espionage plot. This extensive campaign, alleged to have lasted for 14 years, targeted US officials, critics of China both domestically and internationally, businesses, and political figures across the globe. Seven Chinese nationals have been indicted, accused of orchestrating a comprehensive cyber-attack campaign with connections to the Chinese government.
The operation involved sending over 10,000 malicious emails, leading to thousands of victims across multiple continents. According to US prosecutors, the hacking led to the compromise of work and personal accounts, online storage, and telephone records, often through emails that appeared to be sent from reputable news outlets or journalists. These emails contained hidden tracking links, allowing the hackers to gather sensitive information, including location and IP addresses, which facilitated further targeted attacks.
This announcement coincides with the UK government’s accusations against China for similar cyber-attacks targeting the country’s Electoral Commission, politicians, and the electoral register. The Chinese embassy in London has vehemently denied these allegations, branding them as “completely fabricated and malicious slanders.” However, the Chinese embassy in Washington has yet to respond to the US allegations.
These charges and accusations mark a concerted effort by Western governments to pressure Beijing over its alleged global hacking operations, which are believed to be conducted by Chinese intelligence agencies. The hacking group involved, known as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 or “APT31,” is described as an arm of China’s Ministry of State Security. The targets of this espionage campaign included White House staffers, US senators, British parliamentarians, and various critics of Beijing worldwide.
The combined actions of the US and UK governments are part of a broader initiative by Western allies to condemn and counteract China’s aggressive tactics in cyberspace. This global stance aims to challenge the expanding cyber espionage activities attributed to Chinese intelligence agencies and safeguard national security and innovation against foreign threats.
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