US offers Ten Million Dollar Reward for wanted Chinese hacker
The United States has offered a Ten million dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of Guan Tianfeng, a Chinese national, and his co-conspirators, who are accused of hacking computer firewalls. Guan, 30, is believed to be residing in Sichuan Province, China, and was charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud. The charges were formally announced on Tuesday with the unsealing of an indictment as part of the State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that Guan and his associates exploited vulnerabilities in tens of thousands of network security devices, installing malware that allowed them to steal sensitive information from victims worldwide. The indictment reveals that, in April 2020, approximately 81,000 firewall devices were simultaneously compromised in a global attack.
"The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators discovered and exploited primarily targeted firewall devices owned by businesses across the United States," said FBI agent Herbert Stapleton. "If not for the quick response by cybersecurity firm Sophos, the consequences of this attack could have been far worse."
The indictment also details the role of Sichuan Silence, a company linked to Guan, which allegedly sold its hacking services and the stolen data to Chinese businesses and government entities, including the Ministry of Public Security. The scale of the cyberattack, along with the involvement of a company with government ties, has raised significant concerns about state-sponsored cybercrime and the growing threat to global cybersecurity.
The U.S. government’s offer of a $10 million reward underscores the severity of the breach and the ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for such large-scale cyberattacks accountable. The case highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cybercriminals and the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
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