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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Jonathan Yerushalmy

China cyber-attacks explained: who is behind the hacking operation against the US and UK?

Close-up of female hand touching illuminated digital screen displaying a locked sign.
China has been accused by the US, UK and New Zealand of targeting sensitive information with cyber hacking attacks. Photograph: Oscar Wong/Getty Images

The US and UK have imposed sanctions on individuals and groups that they say targeted politicians, journalists and critics of Beijing in an extensive cyber espionage campaign – allegedly operated by an arm of China’s ministry of state security.

The scale of the operation was revealed on Monday, although some of the attacks have been previously reported on. On Tuesday, New Zealand blamed “state-sponsored” Chinese hackers for a 2021 cyber-attack that infiltrated sensitive government computer systems.

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