Chinese hackers have been implicated in a massive 14-year campaign targeting government officials, politicians, and foreign polls. Seven Chinese nationals were charged with computer intrusions and wire fraud for their involvement in this hacking group, known as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) ¹. This group was backed by the Chinese government, specifically the Ministry of State Security, and aimed to repress critics, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets.
Targets of the Hacking Campaign:
- Government Officials: Thousands of U.S. and foreign government officials, including White House staff, Senators, and Representatives, were targeted ¹.
- Politicians and Campaigns: Election campaign staff from both major U.S. political parties were targeted in advance of the 2020 election ¹.
- Foreign Polls: The hackers targeted foreign government individuals who were part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group founded in 2020 to counter the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party ¹.
- U.S. Companies: Dozens of companies operating in areas of national economic importance, including defense, information technology, and telecommunications, were hacked ¹.
The hackers used sophisticated techniques, including zero-day exploits and malicious emails, to gain access to their targets’ networks and systems ¹. This case highlights the ongoing threat of Chinese state-sponsored hacking and the need for increased cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information.
