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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Arrest of Chinese Hackers Not a First for U.S.

Summary: The Washington Post reported that China quietly arrested a handful of hackers at U.S. urging shortly before President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, a move described as an unprecedented step to defuse tensions as the Obama administration threatened economic sanctions. Krebs notes this was not a first: a NASA Office of Inspector General report to Congress on Feb. 29, 2012 said a Chinese national was detained in December 2010 by Chinese authorities for compromising seven NASA systems, many containing export-restricted technical data.

Key Takeaway: U.S. officials say they will likely be unconvinced unless those arrested are put on trial, and administration officials are unsure whether the arrests mark a deeper shift in China's stance or a short-term move to avoid sanctions. The 2010 NASA case produced a confirmed detention, but the OIG report does not state whether that Chinese national ever stood trial.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

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Data Breaches
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