Arrest of a Chinese National on Hacking Charges Illustrates How U.S. Tactics Are Changing to Meet the New Cyber Threat -

In August, Yu Pingan, a Chinese national, was arrested on charges that he conspired to acquire and use malware that targeted U.S. businesses, including a malicious software tool known as “Sakula.” The arrest is the latest example of using the U.S. criminal justice system in partnership with allies as a tool to identify, deter, and punish international hacking activity. The goal? To bring the rule of law to even the dark corners of the Internet. By making public the U.S. government’s understandings of the workings of the criminal hacking scheme, the filings in the case also serve as the latest warning to U.S. companies of all sizes about the changing nature of the cyber threat from overseas.

Yu, age 36, was arrested and taken into custody in Los Angeles on August 21 after flying into Los Angeles International Airport. The FBI affidavit supporting the criminal complaint alleges that Yu was part of a conspiracy of sophisticated hackers who compromised the computer networks of U.S. and European companies for nearly a decade.