U.S. sanctions Chinese-listed companies involved in 'Botnet' cyberattack

The U.S. government has sanctioned China's publicly traded company, Integrity Technology Group, for its involvement in so-called "botnet" cyberattacks that hack into malware infections.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the State Department announced the sanctions in a statement, saying they were involved in several computer break-ins in the U.S.

The State Department says Integrity Technology is a big player linked to China's State Security Department and serves government contractors involved in cybersecurity, as well as central and local government security departments.

It also pointed out that Chinese-based hackers, known to the private sector as "Flax Typhoon," who work for Integrity Technology, operated under Chinese government directives, targeting critical infrastructure in the United States and abroad.

He added that the "Flex Typhoon" hackers have succeeded in targeting U.S. and foreign companies, government agencies, telecommunications companies and media companies.

Earlier, Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said in September last year that he had blocked the Chinese hacking organization "Flax Typhoon" disguised as an IT company and that they were run by Integrity Technology.