This sounds great until you start wondering, “Wait a second. Did they access U.S. computers of private citizens without a warrant?”
Jackson Healy reports:
The Department of Justice on Tuesday announced that they had removed invasive malware from more than 4,200 U.S. computers that were targeted by hackers funded by the People’s Republic of China.
The FBI, in conjunction with government and corporate cybersecurity officials in France, deleted “PlugX” malware from thousands of computers across the globe that were targeted by Chinese-based hacker groups “Mustang Panda” and “Twill Typhoon,” according to the Justice Department.
“The Department of Justice prioritizes proactively disrupting cyber threats to protect U.S. victims from harm, even as we work to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators,” said Matthew G. Olsen, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, in a press release. “I commend partners in the French government and private sector for spearheading this international operation to defend global cybersecurity.”
Read more at Courthouse News.
The Record has more coverage that addresses the question I raised about access to private computers. They report:
Through a court order in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the DOJ obtained authorization to delete the malware off U.S. computers in August and they were able to delay public disclosure of the operation until January.
… The DOJ said it obtained nine rolling warrants in August 2024 before taking action against the PlugX malware on approximately 4,258 U.S.-based computers and networks.
The owners of the devices have been notified of the action through their internet service providers.
Has any reader received one of the notifications?