International Coalition Calls Out Three Chinese Companies Over Hacking Campaign

A rare display of unity among major nations has been made public today, as an international coalition comprising the United States, its traditional English-speaking allies, and other countries including Germany, Italy, and Japan has issued a 37-page advisory condemning three Chinese companies for their alleged involvement in a hacking campaign.

The coalition's statement targets Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong Information Technology, and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie Network Technology, accusing them of providing "cyber-related products and services to China's intelligence services, including multiple units in the People’s Liberation Army and Ministry of State Security." This broad accusation casts a shadow over China's claims of innocence when it comes to cyber espionage.

Specifically, Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology has already been sanctioned by the US Treasury over its alleged ties to the notorious hacking group nicknamed "Salt Typhoon," which has garnered attention for its brazen attacks on Americans' call records. These records include communications from senior leadership in Washington, raising concerns about national security.

Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie were also allegedly hit by recent and so far unexplained data leaks. Despite repeated attempts to reach out, Reuters was unable to locate contact information for the latter two firms, highlighting the lack of transparency surrounding these entities.

China typically denies involvement in sanctioning cyber-espionage activities, but the coalition's statement marks a significant escalation in the global effort to hold Chinese companies accountable. The breaches attributed to Salt Typhoon have been particularly notable due to their scope and severity.

"Mind-boggling" is how one US senator described the scale of this hacking campaign last year, while another likened it to "the largest telecommunications hack in our nation's history." The FBI's top cyber official, Brett Leatherman, has also weighed in, stating that Salt Typhoon was responsible for "one of the more consequential cyber espionage breaches we have seen here in the United States."

The hackers targeted over 80 countries and had shown varying levels of interest in more than 600 companies. This is not an isolated incident; the United States regularly calls out specific Chinese and other foreign entities over their alleged involvement in cyber espionage, often in conjunction with other members of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance: Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand.

The broad statement was cosigned by Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, underscoring the gravity of this situation. As tensions between nations continue to rise, it is clear that cybersecurity will remain a critical battleground in the global struggle for power and influence.