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U.S. Sanctions Chinese Firm, Employee for Hacking 81,000 Firewalls Globally

Dec 10, 2024, 06:25 PM

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Sichuan Silence Information Technology, a Chinese cybersecurity firm, and one of its employees, Guan Tianfeng, for their involvement in a series of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure globally. These attacks included exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Sophos firewalls, compromising over 81,000 devices worldwide, including those used by U.S. agencies. The U.S. Treasury Department has accused the company of working for Chinese intelligence agencies, and Guan Tianfeng has been indicted for his role in these cyberattacks. The attacks are linked to Ragnarok ransomware operations, with one notable incident potentially endangering lives by targeting oil rigs. The sanctions and charges come in response to what has been described as one of the worst telecommunications hacks in U.S. history, highlighting the need for stronger cybersecurity measures against threats from China.