Why China is Cyber-Threat #1 - and What To Do About It

Why China is Cyber-Threat #1 – and What To Do About It

Deputy Attorney General Jeffery A. Rosen listens to FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich talk about charges and arrests related to computer intrusion campaign tied to Chinese government the group called “APT 41” at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC on September 16, 2020. – The US Justice Department on Wednesday announced charges against five Chinese nationals and two Malaysians who ran global hacking operations for at least six years to steal identities and video game technology, plant ransomware, and spy on Hong Kong activists. (Photo by TASOS KATOPODIS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by TASOS KATOPODIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Posted: March 27th, 2024

SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE — When U.S. and British officials filed charges of cyberespionage and imposed sanctions against China Monday, for a campaign which they said had hit millions of people in the two countries, it was only the latest salvo in a cyber war that has intensified sharply over the past year.

The U.S. and U.K. called the group of hackers “Advanced Persistent Threat 31” – or “APT31” – and said it was run by China’s Ministry of State Security. Officials said the APT31 campaign had gone on for more than a decade, with targets including members of the U.S. Congress and the British parliament, along with academics, journalists, and employees of companies that had been critical of China. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the aim of the hacking had been to “repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets.”

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.