Citizens, who have recently become students, are included in the APT40 hacker group, which is known for its attacks on biomedical, robotics and marine research institutes. They had to be engaged in espionage and translating stolen documents.

spy-translators

• The publication found and contacted 140 potential recruiters studying English at public universities in Hainan, Sichuan and Xi’an. They responded to a job posting at Hainan Xiandun company located on Hainan Island.
• Journalists managed to find out that the hiring process was awkward from the very beginning. Sample, Test mission submitted to translate classified documents obtained from US government agenciesAs well as instructions for researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
• As a result, journalists Hainan Xiandun appears as a cover for Chinese hacking group APT40. Western intelligence agencies had previously accused APT40 of infiltrating government agencies, companies and universities in the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East at the behest of China’s Ministry of State Security.
• The FBI tried to disrupt Hainan Xiandun’s activities. In July 2021, three state security officials in Hainan province were indicted for their alleged roles in setting up a front company for state-sponsored espionage. Another person is believed to be a hacker who helped control the staff of Hainan Xiandun.

It was noted that vacancies at the company were posted on university websites for translators, without further explanation of the nature of the job. Apparently, Hainan Xiandun has a close relationship with Hainan University: the company is registered on the first floor of the university library, where the student computer classroom is located. For this reason, the FBI accused the university of facilitating the recruitment of hackers.