(Image source from: mytechdecisions.com)

The US department of Justice has charged the two Chinese nationals with spying charges and targeting intellectual property including COVID-19 research.

The two China’s hackers were working with the Ministry of State Security. They were identified as Li Xiaoyu, 34 and Dong Jiazhi, 33. The two convicts have been carrying their hacking activities since 10 years targeting companies with high technology industries in countries like the US, Australia, Germany, Japan, Belgium, UK, Spain, South korea and Netherlands.

The US department on Tuesday convicted both of them and charged them with spying of computer networks of bio firms across the world working on the development of coronavirus vaccine, treatments and technologies.

They were also charged with global intrusion campaign targeting confidential business information.

It was also alleged that these two Chinese nationals have hacked companies engaged in high tech manufacturing, gaming software development, clergy and human rights activists and targeting dissidents of the US, Hong Kong and China.

The Attorney general of US national security has said that China has now taken in place with Russia, North Korea and Iran which are among the top in shameful club of nations providing safe heaven to cybercriminals. He said that these people are from Chinese communist party, who have the insatiable hunger for American and other Chinese companies’ hard earned intellectual properties.

FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich warned the Chinese MSS and its proxies of serious challenges if it continues to deploy malicious cyber tactics to steal what they cannot create.

Cybercrimes directed by Chinese intelligence services not only threaten the US but every other country that supports fair play and rule of law.

The FBI department said that the complicated nature of cyber investigation becomes even bad when a criminal is backed by the resources of a foreign government.

To gain the access of victim networks, the accused have first exploited popular web servers and web development suites.

As per the report by FBI, the accused were trying to steal trade secrets from at least 8 known victims. The trade secrets include manufacturing processes, technical designs, test mechanisms and results.

Each defendant has been charged with computer fraud for which they will receive maximum 5 years of prison. They have also been charged with theft of trade secrets for which they would be charged with maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. For the conspiracy to commit wire fraud, they would be given 20 years of prison. On account of unauthorized access to computers, they would be sentenced to 5 years of jail and on account of identity theft they will have to face mandatory non-consecutive jail term for 2 years.

By Gayatri Yellayi