The U.S. Secret Service has accused Chinese hackers of stealing more than $20 million in COVID relief funds.

(Reuters)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] In recent years, China and the United States have not only confronted each other on the table, but also in the cyber field. The US Secret Service pointed out on the 5th that since 2020, the Chinese hacker group has stolen at least US $20 million (approximately NT$610 million) in COVID relief funding.

According to comprehensive foreign media reports, U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Justine Whelan pointed out that Chinese hackers have launched cyber attacks against more than a dozen states in the United States, targeting unemployment insurance funds and SME-related loans. Whether the theft was for personal gain or at the behest of the Beijing authorities.

Please read on...

The hacker group named by the U.S. Secret Service this time is called "APT41." It has been accused of conducting hacking and espionage operations on behalf of the Chinese government several times over the years.

Amid more than 1,000 investigations into defrauding U.S. public welfare programs involving multinational groups and domestic criminals, "APT41" is a target that deserves special attention, the Secret Service said in a statement.

Several members of the "APT41" hacker group were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2019 and 2020 for allegedly monitoring more than 100 U.S. companies, including software developers, telecom operators, social media, and game developers.

At the time, then Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen pointed out that the CCP chose to allow cybercriminals to attack computers outside of China and steal intellectual property that is beneficial to China, allowing criminals to trade crimes in exchange for a safe life in China.