A top law firm located in Washington, D.C., “Wiley Rein,” fell victim to hacking by Chinese Communist hackers, targeting the collection of intelligence on U.S. trade, Taiwan issues, and government tariffs.
According to CNN on Friday, July 11, Wiley Rein reported in a memo sent to clients this week that suspected Chinese hackers had breached the email accounts of attorneys and consultants at the firm, clearly with the intent to gather intelligence.
The memo stated that the hackers’ targets included trade, Taiwan, as well as U.S. government agencies involved in setting tariffs and reviewing foreign investment.
According to the memo: “Based on the examination evidence obtained so far, we believe an organization possibly affiliated with the Beijing government accessed some employees’ Microsoft 365 accounts at Wiley Rein to gather intelligence.”
Wiley Rein’s clients include Fortune 500 companies and boast a top-tier team of trade lawyers, assisting U.S. businesses and the government in dealing with matters related to the U.S.-China trade war.
The memo mentioned that they are still working to determine what information the hackers may have stolen.
“We have informed law enforcement and are cooperating with them,” the memo stated.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible for investigating major cyberattacks related to national security. The agency has stated that the scale of Chinese hacker operations is larger than that of all other foreign governments combined.
Wiley Rein’s memo noted that Mandiant, a security company owned by Google, is working on repairing the aftermath of this hacking incident.
This is another recent example of China’s alleged infiltration of U.S. institutions handling sensitive trade or investment matters. In January, Chinese hackers breached a U.S. government office responsible for reviewing foreign investments for potential national security risks.