U.S. accuses Chinese nationals of hacking spree for COVID-19 data, defense secrets

[webfact]

U.S. accuses Chinese nationals of hacking spree for COVID-19 data, defense secrets

By Raphael Satter and Christopher Bing

 

FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday indicted two Chinese nationals over their role in what the agency called a decade-long cyber espionage campaign that targeted defense contractors, COVID researchers and hundreds of other victims worldwide.

 

U.S. authorities said Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi stole terabytes of weapons designs, drug information, software source code, and personal data from targets that included dissidents and Chinese opposition figures. They were contractors for the Chinese government, rather than full-fledged spies, U.S. officials said.

 

U.S. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said at a virtual press conference the hackings showed China "is willing to turn a blind eye to prolific criminal hackers operating within its borders."

 

"In this manner, China has now taken its place, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provides safe haven for cybercriminals in exchange for those criminals being on call for the benefit of the state."

 

Messages left with several accounts registered under Li's digital alias, oro0lxy, were not immediately returned. Contact details for Dong were not immediately available.

 

The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred Reuters to recent Chinese Foreign Ministry comments that "China has long been a major victim of cyber thefts and attacks" and its officials "firmly oppose and fight" such activities.

 

The indictment mostly did not name any companies or individual targets, but U.S. Attorney William Hyslop, who spoke alongside Demers, cited "hundreds and hundreds of victims in the United States and worldwide." Officials said the probe was triggered when the hackers broke into a network belonging to the Hanford Site, a decommissioned U.S. nuclear complex in eastern Washington state, in 2015.

 

Li and Dong were "one of the most prolific group of hackers we've investigated," said FBI Special Agent Raymond Duda, who heads the agency's Seattle field office.

 

A July 7 indictment made public on Tuesday alleges that Li and Dong were contractors for China's Ministry of State Security, or MSS, a comparable agency to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The MSS, prosecutors said, supplied the hackers with information into critical software vulnerabilities to penetrate targets and collect intelligence. Targets included Hong Kong protesters, the office of the Dalai Lama and a Chinese Christian non-profit.

 

As early as Jan. 27, as the coronavirus outbreak was coming into focus, the hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research of an unidentified Massachusetts biotech firm, the indictment said.

 

It is unclear whether anything was stolen but one expert said the allegation shows the "extremely high value" that governments such as China placed on COVID-related research.

 

"It is a fundamental threat to all governments around the world and we expect information relating to treatments and vaccines to be targeted by multiple cyber espionage sponsors," said Ben Read, a senior analyst at cybersecurity company FireEye.

 

He noted that the Chinese government had long relied on contractors for its cyberspying operations.

 

"Using these freelancers allows the government to access a wider array of talent, while also providing some deniability in conducting these operations," Read said.

 

(Reporting by Chris Sanders; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Richard Chang)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-22

 

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[Traubert]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

is unclear whether anything was stolen

Quite.

[dimitriv]

10 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Quite.

 

You have to quote also the relevant sentence before that line.

 

"As early as Jan. 27, as the coronavirus outbreak was coming into focus, the hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research of an unidentified Massachusetts biotech firm, the indictment said. It is unclear whether anything was stolen"

 

Talking about the unidentified Massachusetts firm.

 

The other part of the article is still there "U.S. authorities said Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi stole terabytes of weapons designs, drug information, software source code, and personal data"

 

Don't you have to quote a Chinese propaganda website denying this?

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by dimitriv

[PatOngo]

Is it any surprise the Chinese would attempt to steal anything to advance their world domination? They've stolen the South China Sea after all!

[Traubert]

1 hour ago, dimitriv said:

 

You have to quote also the relevant sentence before that line.

 

"As early as Jan. 27, as the coronavirus outbreak was coming into focus, the hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research of an unidentified Massachusetts biotech firm, the indictment said. It is unclear whether anything was stolen"

 

Talking about the unidentified Massachusetts firm.

 

The other part of the article is still there "U.S. authorities said Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi stole terabytes of weapons designs, drug information, software source code, and personal data"

 

Don't you have to quote a Chinese propaganda website denying this?

 

 

 

No. I just quoted the OP.

 

This means there was American Covid 19 research going on in January yet China was keeping the disease secret? Hmmm..

[Eric Loh]

15 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Is it any surprise the Chinese would attempt to steal anything to advance their world domination? They've stolen the South China Sea after all!

It was theirs after the Potsdam Conference in 1945. 

[PatOngo]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

It was theirs after the Potsdam Conference in 1945. 

Ok, I take back all those horrid, nasty things I said behind their backs!

[animalmagic]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

It was theirs after the Potsdam Conference in 1945. 

Not read in exhaustive detail but I can find no reference to a South China Sea ruling in the Potsdam Conference which dealt with the military occupation and reconstruction of Germany, its borders, and the entire European Theatre of War territory.  It also addressed Germany's demilitarisation, reparations and the prosecution of war criminals..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Agreement

Even if there was such a disposition it has been superseded/overruled by the ruling of the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration Case PCA 2013-19 which states - 

There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within "nine-dash line"

UNCLOS does not provide for a group of islands such as the Spratly Islands to generate maritime zones collectively as a unit.

China had breached its obligations under the convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and Article 94 of UNCLOS concerning maritime safety.

China violated its obligations to refrain from aggravating or extending the parties disputes during the pendency of the settlement process.

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

No. I just quoted the OP.

 

This means there was American Covid 19 research going on in January yet China was keeping the disease secret? Hmmm..

Yes China was trying to keep it secret but failing miserably after numerous news outlets were reporting it on the 31st Dec. Cat out of the bag and time for other nations to do some research.

[Bkk Brian]

I see the US has just asked China to close its consulate in Houston. Lets see what sort of retaliatory measures they take.........

[Traubert]

21 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes China was trying to keep it secret but failing miserably after numerous news outlets were reporting it on the 31st Dec. Cat out of the bag and time for other nations to do some research.

In 27 days? How much meaningful research can you do in 27 days against a brand new virus?

Edited July 22, 2020 by Traubert

[Calvin1976]

"As early as Jan. 27, as the coronavirus outbreak was coming into focus, the hackers were trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research of an unidentified Massachusetts biotech firm, the indictment said."

 

How could they know there are COVID-19 vaccine research for them to steal at early stage?

Could it be any reason to suspect that the virus came from that biotech firm? ????

 

[Bkk Brian]

17 minutes ago, Traubert said:

In 27 days?

Oh you edited after I replied.......

 

Get a grip, you can do plenty in 27 days

Edited July 22, 2020 by Bkk Brian

[Bkk Brian]

22 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I see the US has just asked China to close its consulate in Houston. Lets see what sort of retaliatory measures they take.........

Evidence being destroyed?

 

According to media in Houston, firefighters and police were called to the Chinese consulate building on Tuesday on reports documents were being burned.

 

https://www.barrons.com/news/china-says-us-ordered-closure-of-houston-consulate-01595404204?tesla=y

[candide]

53 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Oh you edited after I replied.......

 

Get a grip, you can do plenty in 27 days

Actually it's only 16 days as the genome was revealed by China on January 11.

Edited July 22, 2020 by candide

[chainarong]

Nothing new in this, China has been attacking OZ University's, defense mainframes and testing labs on a daily basis's for years.

[Bkk Brian]

16 minutes ago, candide said:

Actually it's only 16 days as the genome was revealed by China on January 11 only.

Yes an absolute disgrace 

 

Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it

[candide]

45 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes an absolute disgrace 

 

Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it

It's incoherent!

How could these "multiple labs" decode the genome without any virus at hand. The first case identified outside China was in Thailand on Jan. 12.

[Bkk Brian]

10 minutes ago, candide said:

It's incoherent!

How could these "multiple labs" decode the genome without any virus at hand. The first case identified outside China was in Thailand on Jan. 12.

Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it, not sharing details key to designing tests, drugs and vaccines. Strict controls on information and competition within the Chinese public health system were largely to blame

 

Health officials only released the genome after a Chinese lab published it ahead of authorities on a virology website on January 11. Even then, China stalled for at least two weeks more on giving WHO the details it needed.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-delayed-release-of-coronavirus-genome-findings-to-who-20200603-p54z0a.html

[candide]

8 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it, not sharing details key to designing tests, drugs and vaccines. Strict controls on information and competition within the Chinese public health system were largely to blame

 

Health officials only released the genome after a Chinese lab published it ahead of authorities on a virology website on January 11. Even then, China stalled for at least two weeks more on giving WHO the details it needed.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-delayed-release-of-coronavirus-genome-findings-to-who-20200603-p54z0a.html

I am not challenging the fact that China withold information. My point was that the genome was released on 11 January, so it was very unlikly that research could produce any  sensible result about a vaccine in only 16 days.

So either the Chinese hackers were stupid, or the WH tells BS.

As both the Chinese and the WH under Trump are proven liars, it makes sense to raise this issue, among others.

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, candide said:

I am not challenging the fact that China withold information. My point was that the genome was released on 11 January, so it was very unlikly that research could produce any  sensible result about a vaccine in only 16 days.

So either the Chinese hackers were stupid, or the WH tells BS.

As both the Chinese and the WH under Trump are proven liars, it makes sense to raise this issue, among others.

I think this report by science magazine is clearer in stating the work and studies were subsequently started in other countries after Chinese researchers shared the corona virus genome sequence on 11 January. 

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/chinese-researchers-reveal-draft-genome-virus-implicated-wuhan-pneumonia-outbreak

[Bkk Brian]

12 minutes ago, candide said:

I am not challenging the fact that China withold information. My point was that the genome was released on 11 January, so it was very unlikly that research could produce any  sensible result about a vaccine in only 16 days.

So either the Chinese hackers were stupid, or the WH tells BS.

As both the Chinese and the WH under Trump are proven liars, it makes sense to raise this issue, among others.

Since Covid virus was decoded on the 2nd Jan and not released officially until the 11th then its just as well your not challenging the fact that China was deliberately withholding vital information.

 

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

 

As soon as the genome was published, within days his laboratory and dozens of others around the world started designing vaccines that they hoped could protect billions of people against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

[candide]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Since Covid virus was decoded on the 2nd Jan and not released officially until the 11th then its just as well your not challenging the fact that China was deliberately withholding vital information.

 

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

 

As soon as the genome was published, within days his laboratory and dozens of others around the world started designing vaccines that they hoped could protect billions of people against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

So what did they achieve in just 16 days?

[metisdead]

An off topic distraction troll post has been removed. 

[Redline]

7 hours ago, Traubert said:

No. I just quoted the OP.

 

This means there was American Covid 19 research going on in January yet China was keeping the disease secret? Hmmm..

China released genetic data on January 11 ????
 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/china-releases-genetic-data-new-coronavirus-now-deadly

[Traubert]

41 minutes ago, candide said:

So what did they achieve in just 16 days?

More to the point, what have they achieved since?

 

I dont think anyone else has shown quite the same level of incompetence.

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, candide said:

So what did they achieve in just 16 days?

Since I don't belong to the Harvard Medical School, you'd need to hack into their servers to reveal that info.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Bkk Brian

[stevenl]

I would not trust WH accusations, neither would I trust claims from the Chinese government regarding these accusations.

[PatOngo]

12 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Whereas the USA, of course, is lily white and have never attempted to steal anything, either from adversaries or allies, and they have never aspired for world domination, right?

Who's side would you rather be on?

[IAMHERE]

12 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

According to media in Houston, firefighters and police were called to the Chinese consulate building on Tuesday on reports documents were being burned.

Reports I read where there was a lot of smoke so the fire department was alerted and responded with fire trucks in case of a fire. It was not known at the first alert that it was just the Chinese burning paper out in their courtyard.