On Monday, the Biden administration accused China of hacking the Microsoft Exchange mail server software, which compromised tens of thousands of computers around the world earlier this year.
The United States, together with friendly states, also reported a wide range of other cyber threats from Beijing, including ransomware attacks by hackers associated with the government, which target companies with demands for millions of dollars. According to a senior administration official, China’s Ministry of State Security used criminal contract hackers who participated in cyber extortion and theft schemes for their own benefit. This official told reporters about the investigation on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Ministry of Justice announced charges against four Chinese citizens who, according to prosecutors, collaborated with the Ministry of State Security in a hacking campaign targeting dozens of computer systems, including companies, universities and government institutions.
Despite the fact that the charges were not accompanied by any sanctions against Beijing, according to the official who reported on the investigation, the United States voiced its dissatisfaction with senior Chinese officials — and the White House considers the public expression of condemnation as an important signal.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have also made accusations against China. For example, the EU has linked malicious cyber activities with «significant consequences» aimed at government agencies, political organizations and key industries in the 27 member countries of the bloc with Chinese hackers.
In a statement, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said that the attacks «were carried out from the territory of China with the aim of stealing intellectual property and espionage.»
A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, who was asked about the hacking of Microsoft Exchange, previously said that China «resolutely opposes cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms and fights against them»-adding that attributing cyber attacks to someone should be based on evidence, and not on «baseless accusations».
