A recent leak of internal documents from a private hacking contractor linked to China's government and police has shed light on the seedy and shady practices within China's hacking industry. The leaked documents from a company called I-Soon reveal a world where profit-driven executives engage in collusion, bribery, and unethical behavior to secure lucrative government contracts and maintain their competitive edge.
I-Soon, founded by Wu Haibo, a former member of China's first hacktivist group, Green Army, has positioned itself as a patriotic hacking organization, offering its services to the Chinese Communist Party. The company's executives are shown in the leaked chat records wining and dining government officials, paying introduction fees for projects, and engaging in late-night drinking sessions to secure deals.
Despite boasting about their hacking prowess in marketing presentations, the real business of I-Soon takes place behind closed doors, where executives discuss buying gifts for officials, arranging karaoke sessions with women, and colluding with competitors to rig bidding for contracts. The leaked documents also reveal the company's close ties to Chinese state security forces, with private hacking contractors like I-Soon providing cover and deniability for state-sponsored cyber espionage activities.
The revelations from the leaked documents paint a picture of an industry where connections and shady dealings are the norm, and where profit trumps ethics. As China's hacking industry continues to grow and evolve, concerns are raised about the potential impact on global cybersecurity and the growing threat posed by Chinese hackers to critical infrastructure and national security.
themes: China Hackers
