US Sanctions Chinese Hacker & Firm for Treasury, Critical Infrastructure Breaches

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it is sanctioning Yin Kecheng, a cyber actor based in Shanghai, who was involved in the recent breach that compromised the Department of Treasury's network.

The OFAC is also sanctioning Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, a cybersecurity company based in Sichuan involved with Salt Typhoon, a Chinese state-backed cybercriminal group that has compromised major US telecommunications companies and ISPs.

These designations are just the latest in a series of moves made by the Treasury in an effort to combat malicious cyber activity by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and PRC-backed actors. Previously sanctioned groups include Integrity Technology Group, for its association with Flax Typhoon activity, Sichuan Silence Information Technology, and Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology.

"The Treasury Department will continue to use its authorities to hold accountable malicious cyber actors who target the American people, our companies, and the United States government, including those who have targeted the Treasury Department specifically," said Adewale Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the Treasury Department.

The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for any information leading to identifying or locating any person who engages in malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure under the direction of a foreign government.