Chinese hackers pose as US AI policy figures in campaign targeting AI experts

A Chinese state-aligned hacking group has reportedly been posing as prominent voices in US artificial intelligence policy. The goal: to trick experts into handing over their email logins. One of the borrowed identities belonged to a senior Anthropic employee. The fake message asked recipients for feedback on putting Claude to military use, which is an unusually specific way to get an AI researcher’s attention. What Proofpoint found Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint attributes the activity to a group it tracks as TA419. Its findings appeared in a report published on October 1, 2026. According to Proofpoint, TA419 has been going after specialists in AI policy and national security since at least 2025. The activity appears to have intensified since then. The targets sit in three places: think tanks, universities, and law firms. Many work on AI regulation and national strategy. Some targets were also tied to organizations connected to the US-Japan relationship. The standout incident came in February 2026. The attackers sent an email impersonating a senior Anthropic employee with this subject line: Request for Feedback on Military Integration of Claude A familiar con, carefully dressed The ...