Chinese hackers impersonated ex-US official to steal e-mails from AI experts

Chinese hackers impersonated ex-US official to steal e-mails from AI experts WASHINGTON – Chinese hackers have been impersonating US AI experts, including a former government official, to try to steal e-mails from experts in AI at think-tanks, universities and other organisations, the cybersecurity company Proofpoint said on Oct 1. In a report, Proofpoint said that it had watched the hackers – which it dubs “TA419” – regularly try to steal passwords from people working for US or Japanese think-tanks, defence contractors, universities and law firms since as far back as 2025.

Proofpoint attributed the hacking efforts to the Chinese group based on the types of malware the group used, the internet infrastructure used to carry out the attacks, and the targets it observed the group focusing on, which align with Chinese intelligence collection priorities. Proofpoint said the hackers’ recent campaign involved writing e-mails purporting to come from experts in AI or statecraft, including Lynne Parker, who previously worked as the principal deputy director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy. Proofpoint said the e-mails would typically propose AI-themed collaborations or initiatives before steering targets towards password-stealing websites.