Chinese ‘hacker’ Wang Fujie who obtained details of 78 million people is charged in US with ‘one of the worst data breaches in history’
- Wang Fujie has been charged along with another unnamed individual with hacking the computer systems of four companies including a US-based health insurer
- The data stolen included the personally identifiable information of 78 million people
A US federal grand jury on Thursday charged a Chinese national in a hacking campaign described by the Justice Department as “one of the worst data breaches in history”, an effort that yielded the personal data of 78 million people.
Wang Fujie, also known as Dennis Wang, and another individual in the indictment, are alleged to have infiltrated the US-based computer systems of US health insurer Anthem and three other companies, the Justice Department said in a statement on Thursday.
“The allegations in the indictment unsealed today outline the activities of a brazen China-based computer hacking group that committed one of the worst data breaches in history,” assistant attorney general Brian Benczkowski, said in the announcement.
“These defendants allegedly attacked US businesses operating in four distinct industry sectors, and violated the privacy of over 78 million people by stealing their [personally identifiable information].”
The indictment was the latest in a series of efforts by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations to tackle alleged hacking operations and cybertheft emanating from China. The bureau has become increasingly vocal about the country.