US Department of Justice Charges Hackers Supported by Chinese Government

Claimed to Cause Hundreds of Millions in Damages Over 10 Years
Also Targeting COVID-19 Vaccine Information

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted two Chinese nationals on hacking charges. They are accused of stealing various corporate information, including data related to the development of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, over a period of more than 10 years in connection with the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS).

According to U.S. media on the 21st (local time), the Department of Justice released an indictment charging Chinese nationals Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi with 11 counts including hacking.

They conducted hacking activities targeting companies involved in advanced technology, pharmaceuticals, and game software development. Dissidents and human rights activists operating in the U.S., China, and Hong Kong were also targeted. Weapon design documents were also among the targets.

The Department of Justice explained in the indictment that they had been hacking for over 10 years and recently investigated network vulnerabilities of a biotechnology company known to be conducting research related to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and testing technologies.

The indictment stated that they received support from MSS employees for their hacking activities. The Washington Post reported that the scale of the hacking damages amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.

This indictment is interpreted as a signal that the Department of Justice is taking serious measures to pressure China, following former Attorney General William Barr’s warning against U.S. companies’ China-biased management.

John Demers, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General for National Security, criticized, "China has become a shameful country that provides refuge to cybercriminals, following Russia, Iran, and North Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.