The United States sanctioned Chengdu-based cybersecurity company Sichuan Silence Information Technology Company, Limited (Sichuan Silence) and one of its employees, Guan Tianfeng (Guan), for their role in compromising tens of thousands of firewalls worldwide, including firewalls at US critical infrastructure companies.
Simultaneously, the US State Department announced a Reward for Justice offer of up to $10 million for information about Sichuan Silence or Guan. The Department of Justice also announced the indictment against Guan.
According to the official statement, Guan’s distribution of malware to US critical infrastructure companies in April 2020 put the lives of Americans at risk. Guan also tried to infect his victims’ systems with ransomware.
‘The steps taken reflect our whole-of-government approach to protecting and defending against PRC cyber threats to Americans and our critical systems,’ the statement said, adding, ’The United States will continue to use all tools at its disposal to protect U.S. critical infrastructure and the American people from irresponsible and reckless cyber actors, including Chinese malicious cyber actors, who remain one of the largest and most persistent threats to U.S. national security.’
