U.S. Justice Department Charges Chinese Hackers Targeting Religious Groups, News Outlets, and Foreign Governments

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged several Chinese hackers with targeting religious organizations, news outlets, and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. These hackers, allegedly working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MPS), are accused of using sophisticated techniques to gather sensitive information for the People's Republic of China (PRC). Targets in the U.S. included a religious organization critical of the Chinese government, a human rights and religious freedom advocacy group, and multiple news organizations that have voiced opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Outside the U.S., targets included a religious leader, a Hong Kong newspaper critical of the CCP, and the foreign ministries of Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia. The DOJ alleges the hackers charged the Chinese government between $10,000 and $75,000 per hacked email inbox. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., called the allegations a "smear."