In Monday's announcement, Attorney General Merrick Garland (pictured in Washington, D.C., in September) said, "This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics." The federal government on Monday announced sanctions on seven Chinese nationals for a series of alleged cyber-related crimes over the course of 14 years.
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March 25 (UPI) -- The federal government on Monday unsealed an indictment and announced sanctions on seven Chinese nationals for a series of alleged cyber-related crimes over the course of 14 years.
The People's Republic of China-based APT 31 hacking group is alleged to have targeted U.S. and foreign cities, businesses, political officials and others supposedly to further the goals of China's Ministry of State's espionage and foreign intelligence objectives, according to the Justice Department.
Ni Gaobin, Weng Ming, Cheng Feng, Peng Yaowen, Sun Xiaohui, Xiong Wang and Zhao Guangdong have been charged with with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud in the federal indictment filed on January 30 in New York's Eastern District.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the seven Chinese nationals, all between the ages of 34-38 and who are believed to be living in China, allegedly sent "over 10,000 malicious emails, impacting thousands of victims across multiple continents."
"As alleged in today's indictment, this prolific global hacking operation -- backed by (China) -- targeted journalists, political officials, and companies to repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions and steal trade secrets," Monaco said.
The U.S. sanctions came on the same day that British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told lawmakers in the United Kingdom that China was behind the alleged accessing of personal data of 40 million U.K. voters recently. Britain also announced sanctions against China nationals because of the alleged criminal activity, as well.
The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control singled out Zhao Guangzong, Ni Gaobin and Wuhan-based Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company -- which is allegedly a front company for malicious cyber crimes -- for what the Treasury said is "one of the greatest and most persistent threats to U.S. national security."
In February, the State Department offered a $10 million reward for information which lead authorities to the leaders of Hive ransomware -- a multinational organized crime group that has already targeted victims in 80 countries.
The State Department said the government "seeks information on any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act."
"This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics, including launching malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
