Official announcements from U.S. Department of Justice or major news outlets

U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for Chinese Hacker Guan Tianfeng Linked to April 2020 Cyberattacks on 81,000 Sophos Firewalls

Dec 11, 2024, 10:13 AM

The United States has announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Guan Tianfeng, a Chinese national implicated in a significant cyberattack that compromised critical domestic infrastructure. The announcement comes alongside sanctions against a Chinese cybersecurity firm and one of its employees, following cyberattacks that occurred in April 2020. A federal court has unsealed an indictment charging Guan with conspiracy to exploit vulnerabilities in 81,000 Sophos firewalls, which allowed unauthorized access to sensitive data and targeted U.S. infrastructure. The U.S. government has emphasized the seriousness of these cyber threats, particularly in light of the potential risks posed by such attacks on essential services.