cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/42302635

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Suspected Chinese hackers impersonated the chair of the House China Select Committee in emails to people involved in ongoing U.S.-China trade policy negotiations as part of a spying campaign, a House panel said Monday.

Why it matters: The fraudulent emails were sent to a wide range of individuals, including those at U.S. government agencies, business groups, D.C. law firms and think tanks and at least one foreign government.

[…]

  • Hackers sent emails purportedly from Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) to key leaders ahead of a meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in Sweden this summer asking for input on draft legislation.
  • However, the attached document, which was sent from a nongovernmental email address, was instead laced with spyware that would infect a victim’s computer, according the Journal.
  • The FBI and Capitol Police are both investigating the emails, and the malware in the emails has been traced back to a hacking group tied to Beijing’s Ministry of State Security, per WSJ.

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