The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a Chinese cybersecurity company, Integrity Technology Group, also known as Yongxin Zhicheng Technology Group, for its alleged role in multiple hacking incidents targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. This action comes after the Chinese cyber security agency complained Monday of attacks on Chinese networks.
Asked about the sanctions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that the country has cracked down on cyber attacks and that Washington is utilizing the issue to “defame and smear China.” The spokesperson further emphasized China’s opposition to the sanctions and its commitment to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. Integrity Technology Group also issued a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, firmly refuting the U.S. Treasury Department's accusations and condemning the illegal unilateral sanctions. The China National Cyber Security Information Center reported discovering attacks from various malicious websites and foreign IP addresses, including those in California, Florida, the Netherlands, Singapore, Mexico, Turkey, and Vietnam. These attacks allegedly utilized Trojan programs, botnets, phishing, theft of intellectual property, and violations of privacy, posing a significant threat to China's domestic networks and internet users