In a significant international cybercrime development, Italy has extradited a Chinese national to the United States over alleged cyber-espionage activities linked to COVID-19 research.
Italian authorities transferred the suspect after his arrest in Milan in July last year. According to the Italian National Police, he was identified as a “dangerous foreign hacker” accused of carrying out cyberattacks on universities and institutions involved in pandemic-related research.
The accused, Xu Zewei, aged 34, is alleged to have worked with co-conspirators to exploit vulnerabilities in email software. These attacks were part of a Chinese state-backed cyber campaign known as “Hafnium”, targeting thousands of systems globally.
The US Department of Justice stated that Xu targeted universities, immunologists, and virologists under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security while working for Shanghai Powerock Network. Prosecutors said victims included a university in southern Texas and a law firm with offices in Washington, DC, and other global locations.
Xu appeared before a US District Court in Houston, Texas, where he faces 9 criminal charges. These include wire fraud and conspiracy to gain unauthorised access to protected computer systems.
“The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from US businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said in a statement.
“I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court,” Eisenberg said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, has not responded to requests for comment. In the past, Beijing has denied involvement in hacking activities, calling such allegations “groundless accusations” and “smears”.
Legal representatives for Xu in Italy and the US, Simona Candido and Dan Cogdell, have also not issued any statements so far.
If convicted, Xu could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the most serious charges.
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