In early January 2010, Google revealed that sophisticated cyberattacks originating in China had penetrated the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists in multiple countries. Security experts linked these attacks to a wider espionage campaign targeting over 34 prominent US companies in critical sectors such as finance, defense, and technology, including Yahoo, Northrop Grumman, Symantec, Adobe, and Dow Chemical. The attackers used multiple types of malicious code exploiting email attachment flaws to steal sensitive data, including source code and weapons systems information, as well as details on political dissidents. The cyber campaign represented an escalation in coordination and complexity compared to previous single-vector attacks. The incident sparked diplomatic tensions between the US and China, with the US government actively investigating and emphasizing internet freedom as a human rights issue. Chinese media censored most coverage but acknowledged government investigation. Google threatened to exit China due to these attacks and censorship issues.

In early January 2010, Google revealed that sophisticated cyberattacks originating in China had penetrated the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists in multiple countries. Security experts linked these attacks to a wider espionage campaign targeting over 34 prominent US companies in critical sectors such as finance, defense, and technology, including Yahoo, Northrop Grumman, Symantec, Adobe, and Dow Chemical. The attackers used multiple types of malicious code exploiting email attachment flaws to steal sensitive data, including source code and weapons systems information, as well as details on political dissidents. The cyber campaign represented an escalation in coordination and complexity compared to previous single-vector attacks. The incident sparked diplomatic tensions between the US and China, with the US government actively investigating and emphasizing internet freedom as a human rights issue. Chinese media censored most coverage but acknowledged government investigation. Google threatened to exit China due to these attacks and censorship issues.