Related Federal Cases
- Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Attempted Espionage for Russia · Pennsylvania
- Cyber Fraud Charges Announced in Global Disruptions · Washington
- Cyber Threat Hits Home in Pittsburgh · Alaska
- Hackers Dangers: Man Charged with Hacking Gas Company’s Computers · Pennsylvania
- Snapchat Stalker: Ohio Man Admits to Massive Breach · Pennsylvania
Chinese Military Hackers Indicted for Cyber Espionage
A grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania has indicted five Chinese military hackers for computer hacking, economic espionage and other offenses directed at six American victims in the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to hack into American entities, to maintain unauthorized access to their computers and to steal information from those entities that would be useful to their competitors in China, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In some cases, it alleges, the conspirators stole trade secrets that would have been particularly beneficial to Chinese companies at the time they were stolen.
“This is a case alleging economic espionage by members of the Chinese military and represents the first ever charges against a state actor for this type of hacking,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. “The range of trade secrets and other sensitive business information stolen in this case is significant and demands an aggressive response.
The indictment names Wang Dong, Sun Kailiang, Wen Xinyu, Huang Zhenyu, and Gu Chunhui, who were officers in Unit 61398 of the Third Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The indictment alleges that Wang, Sun, and Wen, among others known and unknown to the grand jury, hacked or attempted to hack into U.S. entities named in the indictment.
The victims of the hacking include Westinghouse Electric Co. (Westinghouse), U.S. subsidiaries of SolarWorld AG (SolarWorld), United States Steel Corp. (U.S. Steel), Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI), the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) and Alcoa Inc.
The indictment alleges that the hackers stole sensitive, internal communications that would provide a competitor, or an adversary in litigation, with insight into the strategy and vulnerabilities of the American entity. The time period of the hacking is alleged to have occurred from 2006-2014.
“State actors engaged in cyber espionage for economic advantage are not immune from the law just because they hack under the shadow of their country’s flag,” said John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “Cyber theft is real theft and we will hold state sponsored cyber thieves accountable as we would any other transnational criminal organization that steals our goods and breaks our laws.
The indictment includes thirty-one counts, including conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, accessing computers without authorization, and stealing sensitive business information.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
CybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrime