Cyber conflict is spilling beyond traditional battle lines after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with hacktivists and state-backed groups launching cross-border attacks. The fallout is a fast-growing cybercrime economy that blurs war and wrongdoing, creating new openings for financially motivated scams. Critical infrastructure such as energy and aviation now faces escalating risk, while everyday users get targeted with more sophisticated fraud.
Xu Zewei has been extradited to the United States, where he faces accusations tied to a Chinese government-linked hacking group. Prosecutors allege the group breached thousands of U.S. organizations and stole COVID-19-related research, elevating scrutiny over cyber espionage and cross-border digital crime enforcement. The case underscores how pandemic-related intellectual property remains a high-stakes target.
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