The Department of Justice today issued indictments charging eight employees of Chinese technology company i-Soon and two officials of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Zhou Shuai and Yin Kecheng, with various counts of intrusion. In addition, the U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of i-Soon, its employees, and MPS officials who engaged in malicious cyber activities, according to the U.S. State Department.
In addition, the United States imposed sanctions on Zhou Shui, a malicious cyber actor and data broker based in Shanghai, and his company, Shanghai Heying Information Technology Co., Ltd. Zhou Shui illegally obtained, brokered, and sold data from highly sensitive U.S. critical infrastructure networks, including the defense industrial base, communications, services, and government sectors. The State Department also announced a $2 million reward under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Zhou Shui and Yin Kecheng.
As confirmed by today’s and previous announcements, China provides a safe haven for a private sector company that conducts malicious cyber activities against the United States and its partners. The Chinese Communist Party also appears to have contracted with them to control and monitor various devices. China-backed malicious cyber actors are one of the most persistent and persistent threats to U.S. national security.
Today’s multi-agency effort is part of our whole-of-government approach to protecting and safeguarding American citizens, their sensitive personal data, and our critical systems from cyber threats. President Trump is committed to protecting the American people and the United States’ critical infrastructure from these pervasive threats, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to do so.
Pursuant to amended Executive Order (EO) 13694, the Treasury Department today imposed sanctions on Zhou Shuai and his company, Shanghai Haiying Information Technology Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Haiying).
