Report: Suspected Chinese Hackers Spied on Governments, NGOs, Media
Facts
- Cybersecurity company Recorded Future has released a report claiming that Beijing has sponsored a hacking group named RedAlpha, which spied on governments, NGOs, think tanks, and media over the past three years.
- The report suggests that RedAlpha – which is alleged to have historically targeted Chinese minorities, including the Tibetan and the Uyghur communities – has carried out spoofing attacks on several organizations allegedly related to Chinese strategic interests.
- This includes Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights, Radio Free Asia, the Mercator Institute for China Studies, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, and the American Institute in Taiwan - the US de facto embassy on the island.
- Recorded Future stated that RedAlpha likely targeted human rights organizations and Taiwan-based groups to provide political intelligence to Beijing.
- RedAlpha is thought to have been active since 2015 but was identified in 2018 by Canada's Citizen Lab. It's suspected of being a Chinese proxy due to its ties with state-owned enterprises and military tech research institutions.
- China is considered one of the world's main cyber powers and it has been accused of using private contractors in espionage campaigns.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Recorded Future, Technology Review, and Tech Monitor.
Narratives
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by XinhuaNet. China's model of hiring private contractors to carry out espionage operations is reaching a dangerous trend in the cybersecurity world. As Chinese campaigns have become more aggressive, numerous, and sophisticated, Beijing's control over hackers - who operate like franchises - is collapsing, posing a threat to global cybersecurity.
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by The New York Times. China fiercely defends cybersecurity, opposing all forms of hacking activities and urging global efforts to improve it. Yet, Western countries continue to carry out a defamation campaign against Beijing, making baseless claims that China is involved in cyber attacks. This Cold War attitude must be rejected and replaced with a cooperative approach to making global cyberspace safer.