Chinese national faces malware charges

LOS ANGELES — A Chinese man has been charged in California with distributing a type of computer malware that has been linked to attacks on U.S. businesses and to the theft of personnel records of millions of U.S. government employees, authorities said.

Defendant Yu Pingan, 36, knew the rare malware known as “Sakula” would be used to hack U.S. companies, the FBI said in court documents obtained Friday.

The malware has also been linked to hacks at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in 2014 and 2015, when hackers accessed massive amounts of information from security clearance forms of federal workers and contractors.

The court filing against Yu does not specifically mention those hacks. U.S. officials have said the Chinese government is responsible for those breaches.

Asked about the arrest of Yu, Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing, said at a regular briefing that she was unaware of the situation.

But, she added, “China has a clear and consistent position in fighting against all kinds of cybercrimes. Also, we will proactively protect the legitimate rights and interest of overseas Chinese nationals.”

Yu, a native of Shanghai, was arrested Monday night at Los Angeles International Airport.