March 26, 2024 at 08:16AM
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments against seven Chinese nationals for their involvement in a hacking group targeting U.S. and foreign entities for 14 years. The suspects are alleged to be part of a state-sponsored threat group APT31 and have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. Sanctions have been imposed by the U.K. and U.S. for endangering national security.
Based on the meeting notes, the U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed indictments against seven Chinese nationals for their involvement in a hacking group known as APT31. The group targeted U.S. and foreign critics, journalists, businesses, and political officials for about 14 years. The defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are accused of being involved in state-sponsored cyber espionage aimed at advancing China’s economic and foreign intelligence objectives. The indictment also alleges that the cyber operation involved sending more than 10,000 emails with hidden tracking links to targets of interest and leveraging zero-day exploits to maintain persistent access to victim computer networks. The U.K. and the U.S. have announced sanctions and a reward of up to $10 million for information on the individuals associated with APT31. Additionally, China has rejected the accusations, calling them “completely fabricated.”