US and UK unveil sanctions against Chinese state-backed hackers over alleged ‘malicious’ attacks

The US government has accused China of perpetrating an elaborate and invasive state-backed hacking program that goes back over a decade. Photograph: solarseven/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hackers backed by China’s government spy agency have been accused by the US and UK of conducting a years-long cyber-attack campaign, targeting politicians, journalists and businesses.

The operation saw political dissidents and critics of China targeted by sophisticated phishing campaigns, according to the US, which resulted in some emails systems and networks being compromised.