SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE — When U.S. and British officials filed charges of cyberespionage and imposed sanctions against China Monday, for a campaign which they said had hit millions of people in the two countries, it was only the latest salvo in a cyber war that has intensified sharply over the past year.
The U.S. and U.K. called the group of hackers “Advanced Persistent Threat 31” – or “APT31” – and said it was run by China’s Ministry of State Security. Officials said the APT31 campaign had gone on for more than a decade, with targets including members of the U.S. Congress and the British parliament, along with academics, journalists, and employees of companies that had been critical of China. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the aim of the hacking had been to “repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets.”
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