Millions of Online Accounts Hacked by Chinese Espionage Network

This hacked information is then used to hack other targets in a more direct and sophisticated way.

AP PHOTO/CHARLES DHARAPAK

On May 19, 2014, a press material was presented on the table of the Department of Justice in Washington, US, regarding the charges against a hacker of Chinese origin.

WASHINGTON, MONDAY —Group hacking allegedly linked to espionage network China is known to have hacked the online accounts of officials in the United States, Britain and New Zealand. Hacking in the United States and England has been carried out for the last 14 years. In New Zealand, hacking has been known since 2021.

The hacking group from China is called Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) and is thought to be a branch of China's Ministry of State Security. They break into work accounts, personal e-mail, online storage and phone call records.

Also read: FBI and MI5 Accuse China of Stealing Global Company Data

The US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) presented these findings on Monday (26/3/2024). Following the findings, the US and UK filed charges, imposed sanctions, and accused China of being behind this cyber espionage operation.

As a result, millions of people—including parliamentarians, academics, journalists, and defense contractors—became victims. In essence, the targets of hacking are everyone around the world who criticizes China. US sanctions were imposed on the Xiaoruizhi Institute of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and two Chinese citizens.

"The hacking operation was aimed at suppressing criticism of the Chinese regime, stealing government secrets and trade secrets," said US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

So far, seven Chinese nationals have been charged by the US for operating cyber attacks over a 14-year period. They allegedly sent approximately 10,000 “e-mails of damaging content” worldwide. E-mails sent to targets often appear to come from prominent news sites or journalists.

Also read: Account Hacking of Prominent US Figures Allegedly Planned

However, the content actually contains hidden tracking links. If someone opened the e-mail, their information, including location and IP address, would be sent to a server allegedly controlled by the seven defendants.

This hacked information is then used to hack other targets in more direct and sophisticated ways, such as compromising the recipient's home router and other electronic devices. The identities and actions of the seven people are not yet known. The US Department of State will provide a reward of up to 10 million US dollars (Rp. 157 billion) for anyone who can provide information about them.

Only a few victims can be identified by name. However, US officials say that this hacking endangers defense contractors and various American companies, including steel, energy, apparel, providers of 5G mobile phone equipment, and wireless technology.

"This is evidence that China continues to weaken our cyber security and target US citizens as well as our innovations," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Also read: Chinese Cyber ​​Espionage Hacks Microsoft Emails with US Targets

For the UK hack, the targets were specifically the Election Commission and politicians. Likewise with New Zealand. The New Zealand Herald daily said members of parliament were the targets of hacking supported by the Chinese government.

The Chinese Embassy in London denied the allegations and called it a malicious slander. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC also stated that without valid evidence, related countries draw unfounded conclusions and make baseless accusations.

JASON OXENHAM/NEW ZEALAND HERALD VIA AP

The Chinese flag flies at the Chinese Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday (26/3/2024).

Apart from targeting government officials, hackers also target individuals classified as opposition. The US cites pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong and their colleagues in the US and other countries who have been hacked in the same way.

Tensions between the US and China regarding issues related to cyber espionage have escalated. This is in line with the increasing number of warnings from Western intelligence agencies about alleged government-supported hacking by the Chinese government.

Also read: China is increasingly wary of spies

In recent years, China has also been calling for the West to be hacked. Last year, for example, the Chinese Ministry of State Security claimed that the US National Security Agency had repeatedly infiltrated Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies.

AFP/NICOLAS ASFOURI

In this file photo taken on April 22, 2020, people walk past a Huawei store in Beijing, China.

In 2020, hackers from China attacked staff working for the US presidential campaign. The Chinese hackers also sent "malicious" emails to the campaign team of US President Joe Biden. There are other allegations involving the hacking of a well-known US company conducting public opinion research in 2018, the same year as the US midterm elections.

"Politicians, parties, and election organizations are rich and valuable sources of intelligence for hackers. Their data is surely abundant. Similar to previous elections, hackers such as APT31 have turned to political organizations to find geopolitical intelligence information," said John Hultquist, head analyst for the US cyber security intelligence company Mandiant, a division of Google Alphabet. (REUTERS/AFP)