The United States has unsealed a criminal indictment against ten Chinese nationals accused of engaging in a prolonged hacking campaign. This operation, allegedly conducted through the Chinese company i-Soon, targeted numerous U.S. and international entities at the behest of the Chinese government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky emphasized the severity of state-sponsored hacking, stating: “State-sponsored hacking is an acute threat to our community and national security. For years, these 10 defendants—two of whom we allege are PRC officials—used sophisticated hacking techniques to target religious organizations, journalists, and Government agencies, all to gather sensitive information for the use of the PRC.”
Sue J. Bai from the Department of Justice's National Security Division reiterated their commitment to cybersecurity: “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who threaten our cybersecurity by stealing from our government and our people."
Leslie R. Backschies from the FBI highlighted ongoing espionage efforts: “The charges announced today expose the PRC’s continued attempts to spy on and silence anyone it deems threatening to the Chinese Communist Party."
According to allegations in the indictment, i-Soon operated under directives from China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) and Ministry of Public Security (MPS), conducting unauthorized computer intrusions worldwide since 2016. The company reportedly generated significant revenue through its operations.
Victims included various organizations such as U.S. government agencies, foreign ministries in Asia, media outlets critical of China, and religious groups. The indictment claims that i-Soon developed specialized software tools for hacking purposes and trained MPS employees in cyber intrusion techniques.
Among those charged are key figures within i-Soon like CEO Wu Haibo and COO Chen Cheng. They face charges including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud.
Authorities urge anyone with information about these individuals' whereabouts to contact them via rewardsforjustice.net.
These charges remain allegations until proven in court, with defendants presumed innocent until then.
