The United States charged 12 Chinese nationals with taking part in a global cyberespionage campaign, which included targets in the U.S.

According to the Justice Department, those charged included contract hackers and two officers with the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Public Security. Most of those charged are hackers who are ostensibly private, but act according to incentives from the Chinese government. The Chinese government buys stolen data from hackers, effectively contracting them.

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