Two Chinese citizens have been charged with trying to steal the COVID-19 vaccine investigation and hacking hundreds of companies in the United States and abroad, including defense contractors, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday. .
Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 33, also attacked human rights activists in the United States, China and Hong Kong, Deputy Attorney General John Demers said.
The indictment comes amid mounting tensions between global superpowers fueled by the coronavirus pandemic that President Donald Trump blames China.
Li and Dong, believed to be in China, acted in some cases "for their own personal gain" and in others for the benefit of China's Ministry of State Security, Demers said at a press conference.
"China has now taken its place, along with Russia, Iran and North Korea, in that shameful club of nations that provide a safe haven for cybercriminals," Demers said.
The Justice Department said that Li and Dong, who were classmates at an electrical engineering school in Chengdu, have been involved in a hacking campaign for the past 10 years.
They have targeted companies in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Sweden and Britain, he said.
"Specific industries included, among others, high-tech manufacturing; medical devices, civil and industrial engineering; commercial, educational and gaming software; solar energy; pharmaceuticals; defense," he said.
"More recently, defendants investigated vulnerabilities in the computer networks of companies that develop COVID-19 vaccines, test technology and treatments," he said.
Justice Department officials said Li and Dong targeted biotech companies in California, Maryland, Massachusetts and elsewhere, but did not appear to have compromised any COVID-19 investigations.
From NDTV News
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