China Criticizes Beijing cybersecurity sanctions

China has strongly condemned the U.S. Treasury’s decision to impose sanctions on a Beijing Cybersecurity Sanctions, Integrity Technology Group, for its alleged involvement in a series of hacking incidents targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Washington of exploiting the issue to malign China.

“The U.S. has been amplifying allegations of Chinese cyberattacks and has resorted to illegal unilateral sanctions against China,” Guo stated. “China firmly opposes these actions and will take necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests.”

Integrity Technology Group, also known as Yongxin Zhicheng Technology Group, dismissed the U.S. accusations as baseless. In a statement issued to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the company criticized the sanctions, asserting that they were founded on unfounded allegations and unlawful unilateral actions.

Chinese Beijing cybersecurity sanctions Firm Cybersecurity Concerns

Amidst the escalating tensions, the China National Cyber Security Information Center reported a surge in cyberattacks on Chinese networks from various international sources, including the U.S. The center highlighted that these attacks originated from malicious websites and foreign IP addresses, notably from states like California and Florida, as well as other countries such as the Netherlands, Singapore, and Turkey.

The attacks reportedly involved sophisticated techniques such as Trojan programs, botnets, phishing schemes, intellectual property theft, and privacy violations. “These activities pose significant threats to China’s domestic network infrastructure and internet users, with some acts potentially constituting criminal offenses,” the center noted in a statement on its WeChat account.

Beijing cybersecurity sanctions and Cybersecurity Breach U.S. Treasury’s

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Integrity Technology Group last Friday, freezing its access to U.S. properties and bank accounts while prohibiting business dealings with American entities. The sanctions were linked to multiple cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, allegedly part of the Chinese state-sponsored campaign known as Flax Typhoon.

Notably, these sanctions were not associated with a separate cyber breach wherein Chinese hackers reportedly accessed several Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents. The breach, reported on December 8, was traced back to the exploitation of a key stolen from a third-party service provider, BeyondTrust, which secured a cloud-based service for remote technical support.

U.S. officials continue to deal with the aftermath of a widespread Chinese cyberespionage operation dubbed Salt Typhoon, which purportedly allowed Chinese authorities to access private communications of numerous Americans. Reports indicate that the campaign affected at least eight telecommunications firms and multiple nations.

Despite the sanctions, Integrity Technology Group expressed confidence that its business operations would remain unaffected, citing its lack of presence and assets in the U.S. The company reiterated its commitment to adhering to all laws and regulations, emphasizing its mission to promote global cybersecurity.

“Our corporate vision has always been to ensure a secure environment for the world,” the company stated, underscoring its dedication to its ethical responsibilities in the cybersecurity domain.