Security News > 2020 > February > Four in Chinese Army Charged With Breaching Equifax

Four members of China's People's Liberation Army have been indicted for allegedly hacking Equifax in 2017 and stealing the personal data of over 145 million Americans as well as a vast trove of the company's trade secrets and intellectual property, the U.S. Justice Department announced Monday.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr called the Justice Department's investigation of the Equifax data breach one of the largest and most complex criminal investigations ever undertaken.

In April 2019, a Congressional report found that some of the malicious traffic associated with the breach came from an IP address in China, but Monday's indictments are the first time that U.S. law enforcement has directly tied the breach to the Chinese government.

While many of the security issues at Equifax in 2017 have been discussed in lawsuits, investigations and news media reports, the new indictments offer some additional details of what happened staring in May of that year.

Chris Pierson, CEO of the cybersecurity company BlackCloak, tells ISMG: "This indictment sheds light on the fact that the Chinese government has failed to live up to its obligations to leave softer consumer based targets alone. Instead, it demonstrates a dedicated attack on nearly half the U.S. population, so that other targeted attacks might be launched. In recent years, the U.S. has not shown a willingness to respond to these civilian attacks, but it could cause increased tensions in trade negotiations and ongoing relations."

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https://www.inforisktoday.com/four-in-chinese-army-charged-breaching-equifax-a-13705