Chinese businessman charged with hacking Boeing, Lockheed Martin

Stolen data allowed China to accelerate fighter tech development.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced late Friday that a
Chinese businessman has been charged with hacking into the computer
systems of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other aerospace companies. The
alleged hacker, Su Bin, is accused of helping unidentified
co-conspirators to identify what to steal from the companies'
networks—including data on the F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft and the
C-17 cargo plane program. Su, also known as Stephen Su, an executive for
a Chinese aerospace company with offices in Canada, was arrested by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia on June 28, in
cooperation with the FBI.


According to the Justice Department, Su and the unknown hackers based
in China started to collect data in 2009, and continued until 2013. The
Justice Department claims that the group "gained remote access from
China to information residing on the computer systems of U.S. companies
including cleared defense contractors.”  In an email Su sent, he said
the aircraft data would help Chinese aircraft designers “stand easily on
the giant’s shoulders,” and ""allow us to rapidly catch up with U.S.
levels," NBC reported.

 | Ars Technica