Italy Extradites Suspect Accused of Chinese Cyber Espionage to the United States

Italian Authorities Extradite Chinese Hacker Wanted in US

An Italian court has extradited a 34-year-old Chinese national, Xu Zewei, to the United States on suspicion of conducting cyberattacks against universities and institutions engaged in COVID-19 research. The suspect was arrested in Milan last July and is accused of participating in a state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaign dubbed “Hafnium”.

According to US prosecutors, Xu targeted thousands of computers using exploited cybersecurity flaws in email software. The institutions he allegedly targeted included a university in southern Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide.

Xu appeared in the US District Court in Houston, Texas, on Monday to face nine criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg stated that the US is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from US businesses and universities.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, has not commented on the extradition. Xu’s lawyers have also declined to comment. If convicted, Xu could face up to 20 years in prison for each count of the most serious charges against him. The case is ongoing, with prosecutors seeking justice for years in this investigation.

Source: Al Jazeera