By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING (Worthy News) – Beijing has condemned the United States and Britain for imposing sanctions over alleged Chinese government-backed cyberattacks affecting millions of people.
American and British government officials point the finger at a computer hacking group known within the cybersecurity community as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT 31)
APT 31, also known as Zirconium, Violet Typhoon, Judgment Panda, and Altaire, is run by China’s Ministry of State Security from the city of Wuhan, where investigators believe the coronavirus pandemic began due to lax safety rules.
The group’s yearslong campaign allegedly targeted White House staffers, senators, journalists, and companies – including Pentagon contractors and British parliamentarians, Britain’s election watchdog, and members of the European Parliament, affecting millions.
The group was also accused of targeting government officials worldwide who criticized Beijing.
China, a strictly ruled communist nation, has also been accused of high-profile attacks in the past: In 2020, tech giants Google and Microsoft warned that APT 31 targeted the personal emails of campaign staff working for Joe Biden.
Britain’s government says APT 31 was also linked to a hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software in 2021 that compromised tens of thousands of computers worldwide.
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