Tensions ran high as the Justice Department slammed the Chinese government with an indictment that indicates a massive breach in security. China’s main intelligence agency — the Ministry of State Security— is facing an accusation that blatantly targets government-hired spies as the culprit for a hacking fiasco that compromised intellectual property and data.
According to Tech Crunch, “Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, both nationals and residents of China, were charged with three counts each of computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.”
“No country poses a broader, more severe long-term threat to our nation’s economy and cyber infrastructure than China,”FBI Director Chris Wray stated at a news conference. “China’s goal, simply put, is to replace the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower, and they’re using illegal methods to get there.”
Amongst the affected organizations, NASA came forward to say that it does not believe any crucial missions were at risk and that they have taken the necessary precautions to increase security and protect their servers.
The hacking group, known as AT10, is also suspected of stealing the social security numbers and personal data of over 100,000 U.S. Navy affiliates.
In an online publication by Reuters, the platforms revealed that other possible victims of this hack include, but are not limited to, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, and their customers. However, filed paperwork names NASA as the only publicly impacted source at the moment.
