The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Chinese hacker Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators in a computer firewall breach. AFP Reported
Guan, 30, is believed to live in China’s Sichuan province, according to the State Department.
On Tuesday, Gowan was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit computer and wire fraud. The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on his employer, Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co., Ltd.
Guan and his team allegedly exploited a vulnerability in firewalls sold by UK-based cyber security firm Sophos Ltd. The breach affected tens of thousands of network security devices globally, allowing the deployment of malware that steals sensitive information, including usernames and passwords. Ransomware attacks.
In April 2020, approximately 81,000 firewall devices were compromised worldwide, including more than 23,000 in the United States, including 36 protecting critical infrastructure.
FBI agent Herbert Stapleton emphasized the potential severity of the breach, saying the damage could have been far greater had Sophos not acted quickly.
The indictment also claims that Sichuan Silence sold stolen data and hacking services to Chinese businesses and government agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security.