US charges employee of Chinese aerospace giant for hacking Nasa, military

By Bruce Einhorn
 

An employee of one of China’s most powerful state-owned defence contractors tried to hack NASA, the US military and other targets, according to an indictment announced today by the US attorney in Atlanta.
 

Song Wu, a Chinese national, attempted to obtain computer software and source code from the space agency, the Air Force, Army and Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration, according to a statement from the office of Ryan Buchanan, US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

Song allegedly tried to hack individuals working at major research universities in Georgia and five other states as well as private-sector aerospace companies, according to the statement.

The US is charging him with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.

The statement identified Song as a 39-year-old who worked as an engineer for Aviation Industry Corp. of China, but didn’t indicate where he is based or if he’s been arrested.

AVIC, a conglomerate that makes drones, stealth jets, fighter helicopters for the People’s Liberation Army, has been the subject of sanctions from the US government for its ties to the Chinese military. The group also produces commercial aircraft and owns stakes in companies in the US including Cirrus Aircraft Ltd., which went public earlier this year.

In April, the Justice Department announced the indictments of two Chinese nationals for allegedly conspiring to illegally export technology, including semiconductor-manufacturing equipment.