US says China operating ‘hacker for hire’ network available for cyberattacks worldwide

Beijing is orchestrating a “hacker-for-hire” ecosystem – involving contract hackers, Chinese tech company employees and government officials – to carry out cyberattacks aimed at stealing data from organizations and governments worldwide, according to a senior US Justice Department official.

In a major effort to combat these cyber activities, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment on Wednesday of 12 Chinese nationals, including two officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security, employees from the private Chinese firm Anxun Information Technology Co Ltd – also known as i-Soon – and members of APT27, an alleged Beijing-backed hacking group.

The individuals face federal charges in New York and Washington.

Senior national security officials said the network had targeted several entities, including the US Treasury Department, which endured a significant breach in 2024.

“The indictments and other court documents allege that Chinese law enforcement and intelligence services exploit China’s reckless and indiscriminate hacker-for-hire ecosystem to suppress free speech and steal data from numerous organisations around the world, including the Treasury Department,” the official said in a background call with reporters.

Beijing’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond for a request for comment.