U.S. Sues Chinese Hackers, Government Officials Over Cybercrime Campaign

Twelve Chinese nationals—including mercenary hackers, law enforcement officers, and employees of a private hacking firm—have been charged in connection with global cybercrime campaigns targeting dissidents, news organizations, U.S. government agencies, and universities, the Justice Department announced, Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker and Dake Kang reported.

Among those charged is Wu Haibo, founder of the Shanghai-based company I-Soon, who was previously a member of China’s first hacktivist group, Green Army.

The criminal cases, filed in New York and Washington, provide new details on what U.S. officials describe as a booming hacking-for-hire ecosystem in China.

In this system, private companies and contractors are allegedly paid by the Chinese government to target individuals and organizations of interest to Beijing—an arrangement designed to give state security forces plausible deniability.

Among those charged is Wu Haibo, founder of the Shanghai-based company I-Soon, who was previously a member of China’s first hacktivist group, Green Army. Wu is accused in the indictment of overseeing and directing hacking operations.

Leaked I-Soon documents, previously reported by AP, indicate that the firm targeted various governments, including India, Taiwan, and Mongolia, but contained little evidence of direct attacks on the U.S.

The indictments come amid growing concerns over China's increasingly sophisticated cyber capabilities, including last year’s Salt Typhoon hack, which infiltrated telecom firms and allegedly gave Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans—including U.S. government officials and high-profile public figures.

One indictment charges eight leaders and employees of I-Soon with conducting widespread cyberattacks aimed at suppressing free speech, tracking dissidents, and stealing sensitive data.