Yesterday, the US government filed charges against Chinese nationals with known connections to the notorious hacking group known as APT41. Five Chinese nationals will face charges relating to hacking more than 100 international companies on behalf of the Chinese government. The court documents unsealed yesterday state that the group has hacked organizations ranging from software development firms, computer hardware manufacturers, telecommunications providers, social media and video game companies, healthcare providers, non-profits, think tanks, and universities. In these cyberattacks, APT41 stole valuable intellectual property, customer data, and proprietary source code.
APT41’s victim organizations span across the globe, including countries such as Chile, the US, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Vietnam. US officials also claim that the threat actor group compromised foreign government computer networks in India and Vietnam, as well as conducting cyberattacks against pro-democracy politicians and activists in Hong Kong. APT41’s endeavors were first detailed in a report published by FireEye in August 2019, however, its first hacks may have occurred as early as 2012.
Read More: US charges five hackers part of Chinese state-sponsored group APT41
