Italy has extradited a suspected Chinese cybercriminal to the United States, the Italian national police announced on Monday.
The suspect, a former director of a Shanghai-based technology company, is accused of coordinating large-scale cyberattacks in 2020 and 2021. According to police, these attacks targeted US government agencies, research institutions, and universities conducting vaccine and treatment studies for COVID-19.
Authorities stated that the suspect worked alongside accomplices and exploited vulnerabilities in widely used email software, including Microsoft Exchange. Sensitive information was reportedly stolen during these attacks.
The man, a Chinese national, was arrested in early July 2025 at Milan-Malpensa Airport under a warrant issued by a Texas court. If convicted in the United States, he faces up to several decades in prison.
