DOJ: Chinese hackers targeted COVID-19 research

The Justice Department on Tuesday indicted two Chinese suspects on charges of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in intellectual property and trade secrets from companies around the world. The agency says the hackers worked with the Chinese government to target U.S. firms developing vaccines for the coronavirus.

Will the hackers be arrested? Federal officials said the defendants are not in custody and would likely not go on trial in the United States. But the indictment gives the Justice Department an opportunity to condemn the actions and potentially deter future attacks. U.S. officials suspect the two defendants, Li Xiayou and Dong Jiazhi, have been attempting to hack tech companies, political dissidents, activists, and clergy in the United States, China, and Hong Kong for the past 10 years—focusing recently on stealing intelligence related to the pandemic.

Dig deeper: Read Seth Johnson’s report in The Sift about similar accusations against Russia.