Ethical Hacking News
Twelve Chinese nationals have been charged with US Treasury breach as part of a global cybercrime operation that has targeted over 100 US organizations, including major companies and government agencies. The indictment alleges that the defendants were motivated by financial gain and had ties to various Chinese government agencies.
The DOJ has criminally charged 12 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated cybercrime operation. The indictment alleges that the individuals targeted over 100 US organizations, including the Treasury Department, with financial motivations. The group, known as Silk Typhoon, is identified as a key player in the hack-for-hire ecosystem. The alleged cybercrimes include hacks of healthcare systems, universities, and management software used by Microsoft. The financial gains from these alleged hacks are estimated to be tens of millions of dollars. i-Soon, a Chinese company allegedly linked to the group, has been characterized as a key player in the PRC's hacker-for-hire ecosystem.
In a shocking revelation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has criminally charged 12 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated cybercrime operation that has left a trail of digital destruction in its wake. The indictment, announced on March 5, 2025, alleges that these individuals, who are purportedly linked to various Chinese government agencies, have been responsible for carrying out a string of high-profile hacks targeting over 100 US organizations, including the Treasury Department.
At the heart of this alleged operation is a group known as Silk Typhoon, which has been identified by the DOJ as a key player in the hack-for-hire ecosystem. According to the indictment, Silk Typhoon's motivations were financial in nature, driven by the prospect of profit and the desire to exploit vulnerabilities in various IT systems. As such, these individuals targeted broadly, rendering victim systems vulnerable well beyond their pilfering of data and other sensitive information.
The alleged cybercrimes committed by the 12 Chinese nationals include hacks of organizations such as healthcare systems and universities, as well as more recent targets like management software used by Microsoft. According to a recent research report, this latter type of software was the target of the Treasury hack reported in late December.
Furthermore, the indictment alleges that these individuals worked for an "ostensibly private" Chinese company called i-Soon, which allegedly had the capability to hack Gmail and Microsoft Outlook inboxes, as well as Twitter and X. The group's leader, Yin Kecheng, is said to have operated a tool known as the "Public Opinion Guidance and Control Platform," which was purportedly used by the Chinese government to monitor public opinion overseas.
The financial gains from these alleged hacks are estimated to be tens of millions of dollars, with some instances involving cyber-enabled transnational repression at the direction of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) officer defendants. In other instances, i-Soon conducted computer intrusions on its own initiative and then sold or attempted to sell the stolen data to at least 43 different bureaus of the MSS or MPS in at least 31 separate provinces and municipalities in China.
In addition, i-Soon allegedly trained MPS employees how to hack independently of the company and offered a variety of hacking methods for sale to its customers. This has led the DOJ to characterize i-Soon as a key player in the PRC's hacker-for-hire ecosystem.
The 12 Chinese nationals charged with these alleged cybercrimes are currently being held by the US government, pending further investigation and potential prosecution. The charges carry significant penalties, including lengthy prison sentences and substantial fines.
As this story continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the threat posed by state-sponsored hackers will only continue to grow unless concerted efforts are made by governments around the world to combat these activities.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/12-Chinese-Hackers-Charged-with-US-Treasury-Breach-as-Part-of-Global-Cybercrime-Operation-ehn.shtml
https://www.theverge.com/news/625081/doj-criminal-charges-chinese-government-hackers-treasury-silk-typhoon
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/05/chinese-hackers-breach-treasury-dept-doj-00213366
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/silk-typhoon-hackers-now-target-it-supply-chains-to-breach-networks/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/03/05/silk-typhoon-targeting-it-supply-chain/
Published: Wed Mar 5 20:27:40 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
