The United States announced on Tuesday, Dec 10, a reward of US$10 million for information leading to the arrest of Guan Tianfeng.
According to CNA, the 30-year-old Chinese national, and his co-conspirators are accused of hacking computer firewalls in Washington. Guan, who is believed to reside in China’s Sichuan province, has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as stated in an indictment unsealed by the US State Department.
The US Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on Sichuan Silence Information Technology, the company Guan allegedly worked for, accusing it of involvement in the cyberattacks. Per the indictment, Guan and his co-conspirators exploited a vulnerability in firewalls produced by Sophos, a UK-based cybersecurity company.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators exploited a vulnerability in tens of thousands of network security devices,” Lisa Monaco, US Deputy Attorney General said, “infecting them with malware designed to steal information from victims around the world,” she added.
It is said that about 81,000 firewall devices were attacked globally in April 2020. The attackers aimed to steal sensitive data, including usernames and passwords, while also attempting to infect systems with ransomware. More than 23,000 of these compromised firewalls were located in the US, including 36 devices protecting critical infrastructure systems, the Treasury Department revealed.
“The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators found and exploited affected firewalls owned by businesses across the United States,” Herbert Stapleton, an FBI agent, said.
Globally, this case has heightened concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities, including in Africa, where the rise of digital services makes the region increasingly vulnerable to such attacks. Similar operations have been on the rise in Africa, underscoring the scale of the threat. INTERPOL and AFRIPOL recently conducted “Operation Serengeti,” a two-month sting that led to the arrest of over 20 Kenyans among 1,006 suspects across multiple countries, including Senegal, Nigeria, and Angola.
The suspects were allegedly involved in online credit card scams that cost the global banking system KSh 1.1 billion (US$8.6 million). The stolen funds were funneled through SWIFT to digital asset firms in countries like the UAE, Nigeria, and China. Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, emphasized the importance of international cooperation, stating that such arrests prevent countless future victims from financial losses.
These cases highlight the global nature of cybercrime and the urgent need for countries to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses against these transnational threats. In Kenya, experts have warned that rapid adoption of digital infrastructure, especially in sectors like finance and government services, requires robust cybersecurity measures to prevent similar breaches.
