The United States has announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Guan Tianfeng, a 30-year-old Chinese hacker accused of cybercrimes targeting computer firewalls. Guan is believed to reside in China’s Sichuan Province.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, charges Guan with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Guan worked for Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co Ltd, which has also been sanctioned for its role in facilitating the alleged cyberattacks.
Guan and his associates reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in firewalls developed by the UK-based cybersecurity company Sophos Ltd. The attacks aimed to bypass security systems, potentially exposing sensitive data and compromising organizational infrastructure.
This case is part of the U.S. government’s broader efforts to counter cyber threats and hold perpetrators accountable. The $10 million reward underscores the high priority placed on addressing cybercrime.
“The defendant and his co-conspirators exploited a vulnerability in tens of thousands of network security devices, infecting them with malware designed to steal information from victims around the world,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
Some 81,000 firewall devices were simultaneously attacked worldwide in April 2020, the indictment said, with the aim of stealing data, including usernames and passwords, while also attempting to infect the computers with ransomware.
More than 23,000 firewalls were in the United States, of which 36 were protecting “critical infrastructure companies’ systems,” the Treasury said.
“The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators found and exploited affected firewalls owned by businesses across the United States,” FBI agent Herbert Stapleton said.
“If Sophos had not rapidly identified the vulnerability and deployed a comprehensive response, the damage could have been far more severe.”
According to the indictment, Sichuan Silence sold its services and the data it obtained through hacking to Chinese businesses and to government entities, including the Ministry of Public Security.
