Two Chinese hackers have been accused of stealing trade secrets from hundreds of global targets and, more recently, probing for vulnerabilities in U.S. companies …
Two Chinese hackers have been accused of stealing trade secrets from hundreds of global targets and, more recently, probing for vulnerabilities in U. S. companies involved in the development of testing, treatments and vaccines to combat the deadly coronavirus. Assistant Attorney General John Demers, chief of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, said that while the suspects’ activities resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, there is no evidence to indicate that they had actually obtained virus-related research or slowed the operations of the targeted firms. Yet as recently as May, federal prosecutors said the hackers had been surveying a California company dealing in coronavirus test kits. The 11-count indictment charges Ll Xiaoyu,34, and Dong Jiazhi,33, in a far-reaching computer intrusion campaign that spanned more than 10 years, leaving a trail of victims in nearly a dozen countries. The accused hackers, both Chinese citizens, worked for their own benefit and at the direction of Chinese intelligence services, said Demers and FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. The relationship between criminal hackers and the Chinese government has become increasingly common as China has continued to seek a global economic advantage across industries, the officials said.
