It is believed that Chinese espionage is aimed at preserving China's national security through gaining commercial, technological, and military secrets.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] The carriers of China's intelligence activities are diverse.[13][14][15] The use of non-traditional intelligence assets is codified in Chinese law. Article 14 of China's 2017 National Intelligence Law mandates that Chinese intelligence agencies "may ask relevant institutions, organizations and citizens to provide necessary support, assistance and cooperation."[16]Honey trapping and kompromat are also common tools of Chinese intelligence services.[17]
Much of the information available to the public about the Chinese intelligence services comes from defectors, whom the PRC accuses of lying to promote an anti-PRC agenda.[18][19][20][21] One known exception to this rule is the case of Katrina Leung, who was accused of starting an affair with an FBI agent to gain sensitive documents from him. A U.S. judge dismissed all charges against her due to prosecutorial misconduct.[22]
The United States believes the Chinese military has been developing network technology in recent years[when?] to perform espionage on other nations. Several cases of computer intrusions suspected of Chinese involvement have been found in various countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India and the United States.[23][24][25]
In the aftermath of the Shadow Network computer espionage operation, security experts claimed "targeting Tibetan activists is a strong indicator of official Chinese government involvement" since private Chinese hackers pursue economic information only.[26] In 2009, Canadian researchers at the Munk Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto examined the computers at the personal office of the Dalai Lama. Evidence led to the discovery of GhostNet, a large cyber-spy network. Chinese hackers had gained access to computers possessed by government and private organizations in 103 countries, although researchers say there is no conclusive evidence China's government was behind it. Computers penetrated include those of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan exiles, organizations affiliated with the Dalai Lama in India, Brussels, London and New York, embassies, foreign ministries and other government offices, and focus was believed to be on the governments of South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.[27][28][29] The same researchers discovered a second cyberspy network in 2010. They were able to see some of the stolen documents that included classified material about Indian missile systems, security in several Indian states, confidential embassy documents about India's relationships in West Africa, Russia and the Middle East, NATO forces travel in Afghanistan, and a years worth of the Dalai Lama's personal email. The "sophisticated" hackers were linked to universities in China. Beijing again denied involvement.[30][31] In 2019, Chinese hackers posing as The New York Times, Amnesty International and other organization's reporters targeted the private office of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Parliament members, and Tibetan nongovernmental organizations, among others. Facebook and Twitter took down a large network of Chinese bots that was spreading disinformation about the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests and a months long attack on Hong Kong media companies was traced to Chinese hackers.[4][32]
In July 2020, in its annual report, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warned consumers that personal data they provide to Chinese payment companies or other tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and others, could end up in the hands of China's government.[40] In September 2020, a Chinese company, Shenzhen Zhenhua Data Technology came under the scanner worldwide for its big data and data mining and integration capacities and intentions related to its use.[41] According to the information from the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, which is run by State Administration for Market Regulation in China, the shareholders of Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co., Ltd. are two natural persons and one general partnership enterprise whose partners are natural persons.[42] Wang Xuefeng, who is the chief executive and the shareholder of Zhenhua Data, has publicly boasted that he supports "hybrid warfare" through manipulation of public opinion and "psychological warfare".[43]
Agencies
The primary agencies involved in deploying operatives overseas are the Ministry of State Security and the Intelligence Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, both utilizing state-owned enterprises and united front groups acting as front organizations for intelligence operatives disguised as legitimate employees.[44] The Ministry of Public Security is also involved in domestic counter-intelligence and overseas capture of fugitives, dissidents and corruption suspects through activities such as Operation Fox Hunt. The United Front Work Department is responsible for conducting political influence operations leveraging overseas Chinese diaspora and local political and economic elites while providing cover for intelligence agents.[45][46][47]
Xinhua News Agency also collects and reports information on individuals and groups of interest for intelligence purposes.[48] Xinhua reporters file certain internal reports (neican) to CCP leadership from secure rooms in some Chinese embassies and consulates.[49]
In 1939, Zhou Enlai espoused "nestling intelligence within the united front" while also "using the united front to push forth intelligence."[45] According to Australian analyst Alex Joske, "the united front system provides networks, cover and institutions that intelligence agencies use for their own purposes." Joske added that "united front networks are a golden opportunity for Party's spies because they represent groups of Party-aligned individuals who are relatively receptive to clandestine recruitment."[45]
In January 2018, Le Monde reported that the headquarters of the African Union, which had been constructed by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, had had its computer systems compromised between 2012 and 2017, with data from AU servers being forwarded to Shanghai.[80][81][82] The building's computer system was subsequently removed and the AU refused a Chinese offer to configure the replacement system. Le Monde alleged that the AU had then covered up the hack to protect Chinese interests in the continent.[80][83]
China and the African Union have rejected the allegations.[84] Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn rejected the French media report, saying that he doesn't believe it.[85]Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the African Union Commission, said the allegations in the Le Monde's report were false. "These are totally false allegations and I believe that we are completely disregarding them."[86]
In 2020, Japan's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) reported that a suspected Chinese hacking organization, "Bronze President," had hacked and extracted footage from the AU Headquarters' security cameras.[87]
According to Pan-democracy political groups,[89] China has been sending spies into Hong Kong harassing dissents and Falun Gong practitioners. In 2012, according to Oriental Daily News, a Chinese security ministry official has been arrested in Hong Kong for suspicion of acting as a double agent for the United States.[90]
In October and December 2015, five book sellers of Causeway Bay Books disappeared as part of the Causeway Bay Books disappearances. The five men: Gui Minhai, Lee Bo, Lui Bo, Cheung Jiping and Lam Wing-kee were allegedly kidnapped by Chinese public security bureau officials from mainland China extrajudicially in breach of Hong Kong judicial independence as a result of publishing and distributing books containing corruption and scandals related to the senior leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.[91]
India
The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) believes that China is using dozens of study centers it has set up in Nepal near the Indian border in part to spy on India.[92][93]
The "Luckycat" hacking campaign that targeted Japan and Tibet also targeted India.[96][97] A Trojan horse was inserted into a Microsoft Word file ostensibly about India's ballistic missile defense program, allowing for the command and control servers to connect and extract information. The attacks were subsequently traced back to a Chinese graduate student from Sichuan and the Chinese government is suspected of planning the attacks.[98]
Chinese hackers linked to the Third Technical Department of the People's Liberation Army have launched extensive and sustained hacking campaigns against the Central Tibetan Administration, based in Dharamshala.[99]
In March 2019, Indian intelligence agencies told news services that China was trying to spy on Indian Navy bases located in southern India and Integrated Test Range missile testing facility located at Abdul Kalam Island. It was doing this by establishing Chinese business around these areas.[101]
In September 2020, Delhi Police arrested a journalist and accomplices under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly passing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers.[102]
On 3 March 2021, the Chinese hackers attacked the Covaxin and Covishield units In India.[103] It is also being claimed that the hackers tried to create a national blackout in the country by breaching the electricity units.[104]
On 21 October 2022, The Tribune, an Indian English newspaper, reported that Delhi Police apprehended a Chinese female citizen hailing from Hainan province in China, and she was accused of assuming a false identity as a monk and allegedly engaging in "anti-national activities."[105]
In February 2023, Indian police detained a Chinese national accused of spying against India under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 121 (waging war against the government of India) and other IPC sections, after the Chinese national visited “key installations” in Delhi, India.[106]
Indonesia
In January 2021, Indonesian fishermen reported findings of underwater drones or gliders. This finding is thought to be related to a glider belonging to China that was previously found by fishermen around the waters of Selayar Island, South Sulawesi. Foreign media have highlighted these findings. Most of them call this incident a secret Chinese mission in Indonesian waters. The Guardian, in its Espionage rubric, details previously that a Chinese-made glider was also found by fishermen in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands in March 2019. Furthermore, the finding also occurred in Masalembo, East Java in January 2020.[107]
In September 2021, Chinese hackers have breached the internal networks of at least ten Indonesian government ministries and agencies, including computers from Indonesia's primary intelligence service, Indonesian State Intelligence Agency (BIN). The intrusion, discovered by Insikt Group, the threat research division of Recorded Future, has been linked to Mustang Panda, a Chinese threat actor known for its cyber-espionage campaigns targeting the Southeast Asian region. But a spokesman of the Indonesia intelligence agency denies China hackers hacked into their computers.[108][109]
In July 2022, the Indonesian Navy arrested six people, including three foreigners, two from Malaysia and one from China, on suspicion of being involved in espionage activities in North Sebatik, North Kalimantan after they were found in possession of sensitive naval base photos at the shared island, according to Indonesian media reports.[110][111]
On 19 February 2019, Kazakh counterintelligence officers arrested Konstantin Syroyezhkin, a former KGB agent, in Almaty, on charges of passing classified documents to Chinese spies.[115] China-linked hackers have also targeted entities in Kazakhstan.[116]
Malaysia
In 2020 Chinese hackers were implicated in the hacking of a Malaysian government official. The attacks were attributed to APT40.[117]
The Philippines
FireEye President Travis Reese has stated that the Chinese-sponsored Conference Crew, founded in 2016, has engaged in cyber-espionage against the Philippines, targeting diplomatic and national security information.[118]
In 2020, Facebook took down a network that was part of a Chinese disinformation campaign against the Philippines. The campaign used false profiles to influence public opinion, particularly related to politics.[119]
Following a murder in Makati City in which two Chinese PLA IDs were recovered,[120] Philippines Senator Panfilo Lacson claimed he had received information that between 2,000 and 3,000 Chinese PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) members were in the Philippines.[121] Replying on Twitter, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said the Senator was "testing the intelligence of the Philippine people", to which Lacson responded saying his information is still worth looking into, while the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is validating the information as a "matter of serious concern."[122]
SingHealth medical data was hacked by suspected Chinese hackers around July 2018.[126]
South Korea
FireEye claims that two hacker operations tied to the Chinese military, dubbed Tonto Team and Stone Panda/APT10, have attempted to hack the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other targets related to the deployment of THAAD.[127][128]
China is reportedly engaged in economic espionage against South Korean technology companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.[129]
In May 2019, Sri Lankan authorities caught the former chief of Military intelligence for allegedly acting as a Chinese mole and trying to obstruct a probe by Indian and American agencies into the Easter bombings.[131]
Taiwan and China regularly accuse each other of spying.[132][133]
Presidential aide Wang Jen-ping was found in 2009 to have sold nearly 100 confidential documents to China since 2007; Military intelligence officer Lo Chi-cheng was found to have been acting as a double agent in 2010 for China since 2007; Maj. Gen. Lo Hsien-che, electronic communications and information bureau chief during the administration of former President Chen Shui-bian, has been suspected of selling military secrets to mainland China since 2004.[134]
In 2007 the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau stated that 500 gigabyte Maxtor Basics Personal Storage 3200 hard drives produced by Seagate Technology and manufactured in Thailand may have been modified by a Chinese subcontractor and shipped with the Virus.Win32.AutoRun.ah virus.[135][136] As many as 1,800 drives sold in the Netherlands and Taiwan after August 2007 were reportedly infected with the virus, which scanned for passwords for products such as World of Warcraft and QQ and uploading them to a website in Beijing.[137]
In October 2020 it was revealed that Chinese hackers had compromised the largest job bank in Taiwan, hacking the information of over five million people.[141]
On 11 December 2020, the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) caught three Taiwanese who worked for Chinese intelligence. They were spreading propaganda about how Taiwan and the US were trying to overthrow the Thai monarchy, supporting the democracy protesters. The case is important because it is Taiwan's first Internet-related national security case, which the bureau investigated. Secondly, it is the first time Taiwan has documented that China has successfully recruited Taiwanese to work as paid online agents of its cyber army.[142][143] This disinformation operation also tried to falsely portray the Milk Tea Alliance as a color revolution style American government plot.[144]
In August 2022, during Speaker of the HouseNancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, a TV screen at a Taiwan Railway Ministration (TRA) station displayed a message referring to Pelosi as an "old witch" in simplified Chinese characters (official characters in mainland China), while TV screens at multiple 7-Elevens began referring to her as a "warmonger."[146][147] China was suspected of hacking the TRA signs and Taiwan 7-Eleven to mock Pelosi.[146]
In March 2023, Taiwan prosecutors charged two former officials with violating the national security law by organizing meetings between former senior military officers and Chinese intelligence personnel.[148] Retired rear admiral Hsia Fu-hsiang and former lawmaker Lo Chih-ming began their espionage after being recruited by the Chinese military and United Front Work Department.[149] Each faces up to five years in jail if convicted.[148]
In August 2023, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detained a lieutenant colonel, Hsieh, for leaking military secrets to China. Hsieh and several others were suspected of having been recruited by China to provide China with national defense secrets and other information.[150] Hsieh is also suspected of developing a spy organization of current and retired military personnel to collect intelligence for China.[150]
In May 2017, Major Wang Hung-ju, a retired military police officer assigned to the National Security Bureau, was indicted on charges of spying for the People's Republic of China.[151]
Army Major General Hsieh Chia-kang, deputy commander of Matsu Defense Command, has been accused of providing intelligence to China, having been recruited by retired army colonel Hsin Peng-sheng.[152]
In January 2018, it was reported that the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office is investigating if classified information regarding the Airborne Special Service Company was passed on to Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭), who was already convicted for violating the National Security Act.[153] In March 2018, a retired colonel was charged with breaching the National Security Act by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office, which alleged that the colonel shared classified personal information and planned to develop a spy ring in Taiwan.[154] In April 2018, Hung Chin-hsi (洪金錫), a Macau-born businessman, was accused of developing a spy ring in the Ministry of Justice, on behalf of China.[155] Captain Zhen Xiaojiang (鎮小江) was convicted in 2015 of recruiting Taiwanese military officers as part of a spy ring on behalf of China, including Army Major-General Hsu Nai-chuan (許乃權).[156] Zhen sent intelligence regarding Taiwan's radar installations and Dassault Mirage 2000fighters to China.[156] He was deported to Hong Kong in July 2018.[156]
In 2022, Taipei District Prosecutors Office charged retired major general Chien and retired lieutenant colonel Wei for developing a spy network for China. They were accused of working for a Hong Konger named Tse, who would visit Taiwan to recruit retired officers and reach out to those on active duty. Chien and Wei tried unsuccessfully to recruit Chang Che-ping, who was a deputy minister at the ROC Ministry of National Defense before serving as a strategic adviser to President Tsai Ing-wen. Chang was probed as a defendant last year but later renamed as a witness.[157]
According to Taiwanese prosecutors, engineer Wang Yongming (on behalf of Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit) engaged in espionage to steal Micron Technology microchip designs via the Taiwanese company UMC.[159] Micron alleges that UMC hired Micron's engineers, asking them to steal files on advanced memory chips.[158][159] The files Wang allegedly stole were said to be production secrets, including testing procedures related to metallization, and the DR25nmS design protocol.[158]
Vietnam
According to the security research firm FireEye, Chinese hackers are suspected of targeting Vietnamese government and corporate targets.[160] The hacking group, designated Conimes, phished the targets and delivered malware via a pre-2012 version of Microsoft Word.[160][161]
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven was also believed to be the center for a group of Chinese students in Europe conducting industrial espionage, operating under a front organization called the Chinese Students' and Scholars' Association of Leuven.[169][170] In 2005 a leading figure of the Association defected to Belgium, providing information to the Sûreté de l'Etat on hundreds of spies engaged in economic espionage across Europe.[171][172] The group had no obvious links to Chinese diplomats and was focused on getting moles into laboratories and universities in the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, France and Belgium.[173] The People's Daily, an organ of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, dismissed the reports as fabrications triggered by fears of China's economic development.[174]
In February 2019, a report was released byEuropean External Action Service which estimated that there were 250 Chinese MSS spies operating in Brussels, the capital of the European Union.[175]
On 15 December 2023, a joint investigation by Financial Times, Der Spiegel and Le Monde revealed that former Vlaams Belang senator Frank Creyelman accepted bribes from Ministry of State Security for three years to influence discussions within the European Union.[176] Subsequently, Vlaams Belang expelled him from the party.[177] His brother, Steven Creyelman, also MP for the VB, is also linked to this case.[178]
Denmark
In June 2023, Bloomberg News reported that Huawei engaged in espionage against the Danish telecom group (TDC) based in Copenhagen, Denmark. This espionage aimed to gain an advantage in their bid against the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson for a lucrative 5G network contract valued at CHF 175 million ($198 million) to upgrade Denmark's cellular network.[179]
In March 2021, the Finnish government implicated the China-linked hacking group APT31 in a hack of the Finnish Parliament.[183][184] In July that same year, as part of a joint EU/NATO/US/UK statement on Chinese-backed hacking campaigns (see 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server data breach), the British National Cyber Security Centre joined in accusing China-linked hacking groups of being behind the Finnish Parliament hack.[165]
France
There have been several incidents of suspected Chinese spies in France. This includes Shi Pei Pu, a Chinese opera singer from Beijing who convinced a French diplomat that he was a woman and spied on France.[185]
French media also portrayed Li Li Whuang (李李), a 22-year-old Chinese intern at car parts maker Valeo, as an industrial spy.[186] Both the French prosecution and Valeo refuted media claims of spying and the case was later considered to be a psychosis.[187][188] Li Li was ultimately convicted of violating the confidentiality clause of her contract and served two months in prison, but was allowed to continue her doctoral studies at the University of Technology of Compiègne.[189]
Two French intelligence operatives, identified only as Henri M and Pierre-Marie H, were accused of communicating classified information to China.[190] Henri M was reportedly the Beijing station chief for the Directorate-General for External Security.[190][191]
According to reporting by Le Figaro, the General Directorate for Internal Security and Directorate-General for External Security believe that Chinese spies have used LinkedIn to target thousands of business and government officials as potential sources of information.[192]
In 2011, a Chinese cyberattack against Airbus Astrium (now ArianeGroup) occurred, targeting technical specifications and test results of M51 SLBM.[193]
In December 2018, experts from the DGSI and ANSSI discovered a "sophisticated" supply chain attack targeting Airbus.[193] The pattern of the attack has been described as typical of APT10 although unusually sophisticated.[194] It is suspected that the attack was motivated by economic warfare to benefit the development of the domestic Chinese C919 airliner.[193]
In 2019, the admiral Morio de l'Isle warned the National Assembly about a high number of marriages between Chinese women and French servicemen in Brest, which host the general staff of the Strategic Oceanic Force, responsible for the sea-based French nuclear deterrence, and located next to Île Longue, the home base of French SSBN. He also notified of an "increasingly strong" Chinese presence around VLF military transmission center across France citing the example of the creation of "sino-european hub" funded by the investment company of Beijing Municipality in a remote town near the HWU transmitter. This choice was described by a local deputy as "troubling".[195][196]
In December 2020, Huawei announced it will open its first large factory outside China in France next to the border with Germany.[197] National and local newspapers have quickly expressed national security concerns about the location of the factory, situated between DRM headquarters, multiple electronic warfare, intelligence and transmission regiments, as well as about the company itself.[198][199][200][201] The US Consul of Strasbourg met with the local mayor.[202]
In July 2021, the ANSSI issued a security alert about a "large intrusion campaign impacting numerous French entities" described as "especially virulent" using the mode of operation of APT31.[203][204] Two weeks later, Minister of the Armed ForcesFlorence Parly at the International Cybersecurity Forum suggested the emergence of "a new cold war in cyberspace [...] without the corresponding restraint. [...] There is no red phone in the cyber" and warned "we could be confronted to quickly and uncontrollably escalating situations with unseen crisis and unpredictable domino effects".[205]
In March 2023, Taiwan's Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) announced that a Chinese overseas police station in France engaged in cyberattacks against an OCAC language school in France.[206]
Germany
According to reporting in Süddeutsche Zeitung, China has been soliciting information from members of the Bundestag, including offering €30,000 for insider information from one parliamentarian.[207]
The Federal Ministry of the Interior estimates that Chinese economic espionage could be costing Germany between 20 and 50 billion euros annually.[210] Spies are reportedly targeting mid- and small-scale companies that do not have as strong security regimens as larger corporations.[211] Berthold Stoppelkamp, head of the Working Group for Economic Security (ASW), stated that German companies had a poor security culture making espionage easier, exacerbated by the absence of a "strong, centralized" police command.[212] Walter Opfermann, a counter-intelligence expert for the state of Baden-Württemberg, claimed that China is using extremely sophisticated electronic attacks capable of endangering portions of critical German infrastructure, having gathered sensitive information through techniques such as phone hacking and Trojan emails.[213] In November 2018, German prosecutors in Cologne charged a former employee of Lanxess for engaging in industrial espionage on behalf of a Chinese copycat company.[214]
Germany suspects China of spying both on German corporations and on Uyghur expatriates living in the country.[215][216] In 2011, a 64-year-old German man was charged with spying on Uyghurs in Munich between April 2008 and October 2009.[217][218] Munich is a center for expatriate Uyghurs, and in November 2009 members of the Federal Criminal Police Office arrested four Chinese nationals on charges of spying on Uyghurs. In 2007 Chinese diplomat Ji Wumin left Germany after being observed meeting with individuals engaged in surveillance of Munich Uyghurs, and German investigators suspect China is coordinating espionage activities out of its Munich consulate in the Neuhausen district.[219]
In 2012, EADS (Airbus) and steel maker ThyssenKrupp were attacked by Chinese hackers. ThyssenKrupp described the attack as "massive" and "especially qualitative".[220]
In 2016, ThyssenKrupp underwent an "organized, highly professional hacking attack" conducted "with state backing and the best attack techniques" whose aim was "to steal technological know-how and research".[221] The group stated to have successfully repealed the attack after a "6 months long defensive battle". Some information was obtained by the hackers but critical divisions concerning blast furnace, power stations and submarines have reportedly not been affected.[222] The timing of the attacks suggest that attackers are based in China or southeast Asia.[221]
In 2017, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) published information alleging that Chinese intelligence services had created fake social media profiles on sites such as LinkedIn, using them to gather information on German politicians and government officials.[223][224] The Verfassungsschutz had previously warned that Chinese intelligence officers are making use of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and XING to recruit informants.[225] Lu Kang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the allegations.[226]
In 2019, an investigation led by the Bayerischer Rundfunk uncovered that a hacker group called Winnti had attacked twelve major companies including six German DAX-traded companies: Bayer AG, BASF, Siemens, Henkel, Covestro.[227] The Kapersky Lab first uncovered Winnti in 2011 after it infected the German company Gameforge and has been highly active ever since. An IT security expert with whom they have worked said that "any DAX corporation that hasn't been attacked by Winnti must have done something wrong".[227] This group has also been attributed the responsibility of the 2016 ThyssenKrupp hacking attack.[228]
We can, based on many, many indicators, say with high confidence that Winnti is being directed by the Chinese [government].
Lithuanian intelligence agencies have claimed that China is engaged in an "increasingly aggressive" campaign of espionage, which includes "attempts to recruit Lithuanian citizens".[229] Darius Jauniskis, Director of the State Security Department of Lithuania, has cautioned against a potential threat posed by Huawei telecommunications equipment.[229]
Norway
Hackers working as part of APT 10, on behalf of the Chinese government, hacked Norwegian business software provider Visma, reportedly to gain access to the information on the company's customers.[230] Beginning on 30 August 2018, APT10 used a malware program dubbed Trochilus and accessed a backdoor, and then proceeded to use WinRAR and cURL to exfiltrate data from Visma to a Dropbox account.[231]
Poland
In May 2009, Stefan Zielonka, a Polishcipher officer working for the Military Information Services, disappeared. He is suspected of providing the Chinese or Russian governments with Polish and NATO cryptography information.[232][233] Zielonka's body was later retrieved from the Vistula river, although investigators remain uncertain as to whether Zielonka was attempting to defect or committed suicide, or whether the body retrieved actually was Zielonka's.[234]
In April 2018, a former member of the Parliament of Poland for Samoobrona, Mateusz Piskorski, was charged with espionage on behalf of Russia and China.[235][236]
In December 2007, Igor Reshetin, the Chief Executive of Tsniimash-Export, and three researchers were sentenced to prison for passing on dual-purpose technology to the Chinese. Analysts speculated that the leaked technology could help China develop improved missiles and accelerate the Chinese space program.[241] In September 2010, the Russian Federal Security Service detained two scientists working at the Baltic State Technical University in Saint Petersburg. The two are charged with passing on classified information to China, possibly through the Harbin Engineering University.[242][243] Russia has been a significant target for China linked hackers.[116]
In February 2020, the FSB detained Dr. Valery Mitko, President of Russia's Arctic Academy of Sciences, on charges of providing classified information related to underwater detection of submarines to Chinese intelligence operatives.[244]
Turkey
China has engaged in espionage campaigns in order to monitor Uyghurs in Turkey that have involved coercion and sophisticated cyber-espionage measures.[245][246][247][248]
Switzerland
According to reports in Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Chinese intelligence services have attempted to recruit Swiss university staff and researchers using LinkedIn.[249][250]
Sweden
Babur Maihesuti, a Uyghur who became a Swedish citizen was arrested for spying on the Uyghur refugee communities in Sweden, Norway, Germany and the United States, and ultimately sentenced for illegal espionage activity.[251][252][253] In April 2018 Sweden charged Dorjee Gyantsan, a 49-year-old Tibetan refugee, with spying on Tibetan dissidents and refugees in Sweden between July 2015 and February 2017.[254] Gyantsan is accused of collecting information on Tibetan refugees in Sweden, and then passing that information on to Chinese officials in Finland and Poland.[254] Gyantsan was arrested upon returning from Warsaw, carrying $6,000 in cash.[255][256]
United Kingdom
UK officials, including experts at its MI5 intelligence agency, are fearful that China could shut down businesses in the nation with Chinese cyberattacks and spy equipment embedded in computer and telecommunications equipment.[257][258] MI5 has reportedly monitored Chinese espionage against Rio Tinto Group computers.[259]
In September 2023, British media reported that a British diplomat at the British embassy in Beijing discovered a listening device in the teapot that the Chinese officials gave to the diplomat as a farewell gift. After returning to Britain, the diplomat found the hidden bug inside the teapot when it was accidentally dropped and smashed on the floor.[262]
In 2023 it has been revealed that an individual known as "H6" or Yang Tengbo, alleged to be a Chinese spy, has been at the center of a controversy involving the UK government and the royal family.[263][264][265] H6 had connections with the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, and was invited to his birthday celebration in 2020. A royal aide, Dominic Hampshire, had given H6 permission to act on the duke's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China. The Home Office, under then-Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, barred H6 from entering the UK in 2023 due to alleged engagement in "covert and deceptive activity" on behalf of the CCP. A specialized tribunal in London upheld this decision, ruling that Braverman was justified in deeming H6 a risk to national security. A judge ruled the Chinese spy allegedly had an unusual degree of trust from the royal. Housing Minister, Jim McMahon, stated that revealing H6's identity is a matter for the courts, despite growing demand among MPs for more details. Former Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith, plans to pose an Urgent Question in parliament regarding the United Front Work Department, which is reportedly linked to H6. Sir Iain Duncan Smith has also warned there are many more like H6 in the UK. The Chinese embassy in London has denied the allegations, accusing some UK individuals of fabricating "spy" narratives to discredit China. Prince Andrew has ceased all contact with H6 following government concerns, while there are warnings of potential additional espionage activities in the UK. Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, emphasized the need to balance economic collaboration with China while addressing national security threats. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has raised his concerns of the challenge China poses.[266]
Vatican City
According to an investigation by Recorded Future, Chinese hackers broke into the computer networks of the Vatican and the Holy See's Study Mission to China, including by placing malware in what appeared to be a letter from Cardinal Secretary of StatePietro Parolin.[267] In the weeks after the investigation was published the hackers continued to operate on Vatican networks,[268] by November 2020 the group targeting the Vatican had changed their tactics to avoid detection but were discovered by researchers from the firm Proofpoint.[269]
Newspapers have estimated that China may have up to 1,000 spies in Canada.[270][271] The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceRichard Fadden in a television interview was assumed to have implied that various Canadian politicians at provincial and municipal levels had ties to Chinese intelligence. In an interview, he claimed that some politicians were under the influence of a foreign government, but he withdrew the statement a few days later. It was assumed by Chinese groups in Canada, and others, that he was referring to China because in the same interview he stressed the high level of Chinese spying in Canada, however Fadden did not say specifically which country these politicians were under the influence of. His statement was withdrawn a few days later.[272]
In 2005, Canadian businessman Joe Wang stated his belief that threatening letters he received after broadcasting programs about alleged human rights abuses in China were from the Chinese consulate; one of the envelopes contained boric acid.[273]
In 2012 Mark Bourrie, an Ottawa-based freelance journalist, stated that the State Council-run Xinhua News Agency asked him to collect information on the Dalai Lama through their Ottawa bureau chief, Dacheng Zhang, by exploiting his journalistic access to the Parliament of Canada.[274] Bourrie stated that he was asked to write for Xinhua in 2009 and sought advice from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), but was ignored. Bourrie was asked to collect information on the Sixth World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet at the Ottawa Convention Centre, although Xinhua had no intention of writing a story on the proceedings. Bourrie stated that at that point "We were there under false pretenses, pretending to be journalists but acting as government agents."[275] Xinhua collects extensive information on Tibetan and Falun Gong dissidents in Canada, and is accused of being engaged in espionage by Chinese defector Chen Yonglin and Reporters Without Borders.[citation needed]
On 1 December 2013, Lloyd's Register employee Qing Quentin Huang was arrested and charged with violating the Security of Information Act, for allegedly communicating classified information on the federal shipbuilding strategy to China.[276][277] Huang reportedly contacted the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa in an attempt to pass on secrets, which was detected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who in turn alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.[277]
Between 2006 and 2010 Yang Wang, a Chinese immigrant to Canada, admitted to providing intelligence to the Ministry of State Security, including on the activities of Falun Gong.[278]
In 2022, Yuesheng Wang, a researcher at Hydro-Québec, was arrested and charged with violating the Security of Information Act, for allegedly obtaining trade secrets and filing patents in connection with Chinese universities and publishing papers without the permission of Hydro-Québec. He is also charged with fraud for obtaining trade secrets, unauthorized use of a computer and breach of trust by a public officer. His crimes were allegedly committed between February 2018 and October 2022.[280]
I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war – a real shooting war with a major power – it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities. —President Biden,at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on 27 July 2021, in front of the U.S. intelligence community[281]
China is suspected of having a long history of espionage in the United States against military and industrial secrets, often resorting to the exploitation of commercial entities and a network of scientific, academic, and business contacts. Several U.S. citizens have been convicted for spying for China. Naturalized citizen Dongfan Chung, an engineer working with Boeing, was the first person convicted under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. Chung is suspected of having passed on classified information on designs including the Delta IV rocket, F-15 Eagle, B-52 Stratofortress and the CH-46 and CH-47 helicopters.[282]
Taiwanese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee (born in Nantou, Taiwan 21 December 1939) was accused and investigated on the grounds of espionage in 1999 but was acquitted of all charges except for mishandling classified data.[285]
In November 2005 the United States arrested four people in Los Angeles on suspicion of being involved in a Chinese spy ring.[286]
In 2009, China was suspected of stealing terabytes of design data for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from defense contractor Lockheed Martin's computers. In 2012, a Chinese version, the J-31, appeared to rival the F-35.[290]
China's espionage and cyberattacks against the US government and business organizations are a major concern, according to the seventh annual report (issued September 2009) to the US Congress of the United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission.[291] "Although attribution is a problem in cyber attacks, the scale and coordination of the attacks strongly indicates Chinese state involvement", said commission vice chairman Larry Wortzel. "In addition to harming U.S. interests, Chinese human and cyber espionage activities provide China with a method for leaping forward in economic, technological, and military development." The report cited that the number of cyberattacks from China against the US Department of Defense computer systems had grown from 43,880 in 2007 to 54,640 in 2008, a nearly 20 percent increase.[292][293] Reuters reported that the Commission found that the Chinese government has placed many of its computer network responsibilities under the direction of the People's Liberation Army, and was using the data mostly for military purposes.[294] In response, China slammed the report as "full of prejudice", and warning it could damage China-US relations. "We advise this so-called commission not to always view China through tinted glasses", Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.[295]
In June 2015, the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that it had been the target of a data breach targeting the records of as many as four million people.[296] Later, FBI Director James Comey put the number at 18 million.[297]The Washington Post has reported that the attack originated in China, citing unnamed government officials.[298] James Comey said: "It is a very big deal from a national security perspective and from a counterintelligence perspective. It's a treasure trove of information about everybody who has worked for, tried to work for, or works for the United States government."[299]
Voice of America reported in April 2020 that "U.S. intelligence agencies concluded the Chinese hackers meddled in both the 2016 and 2018 elections" and "Internet security researchers say there have already been signs that China-allied hackers have engaged in so-called 'spear-phishing' attacks on American political targets" ahead of the 2020 United States elections.[300]
In 2019, two Chinese nationals were indicted for the Anthem medical data breach.[301] About 80 million company records were hacked, stoking fears that the stolen data could be used for identity theft.[302] In February 2020, the United States government indicted members of China's PLA for hacking into Equifax and plundering sensitive data as part of a massive heist that also included stealing trade secrets.[303][304] Private records of more than 145 million Americans were compromised in the 2017 Equifax data breach.[305]
In July 2020, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray called China the "greatest long-term threat" to the United States. He said that "the FBI is now opening a new China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours. Of the nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases currently under way across the country, almost half are related to China."[305]
The greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality, is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China. It’s a threat to our economic security—and by extension, to our national security...It’s the people of the United States who are the victims of what amounts to Chinese theft on a scale so massive that it represents one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history. We’ve now reached the point where the FBI is opening a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours. Of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country, almost half are related to China. —Director of the FBIChristopher Wray,Remarks at the Hudson Institute (July 7, 2020)
In July 2020, the United States Department of Justice indicted two Chinese hackers with global computer intrusion campaign targeting intellectual property and confidential business information, including COVID-19 research. It alleged that the two hackers worked with the Guangdong State Security Department of the Ministry of State Security (China).[306]
In a July 2021 joint statement with NATO, the EU, and other Western nations, the US accused the Ministry of State Security of perpetrating several cyberattacks, including the 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server data breach. However, it also noted that several attacks were for-profit ransomware attacks by non-government hackers contracted by the MSS for non-intelligence purposes. Additionally, the U.S. Justice Department charged four Chinese nationals accused of working for the MSS with a hacking campaign targeting government, academic, and private institutions; the individuals were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit economic espionage.[164][165][166][167]
In November 2022, Yanjun Xu, the first Chinese government intelligence officer ever to be extradited to the United States to stand trial was sentenced to 20 years in prison for espionage crimes, attempting to steal trade secrets.[307][308] According to the U.S. Justice Department, Xu targeted American aviation companies, recruited employees to travel to China, and solicited their proprietary information, all on behalf of China.[309]
In March 2023, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) based in Washington DC published an updated Survey of Chinese Espionage in the United States since 2000, which includes 224 documented cases of Chinese espionage targeted at the United States as of February 2023.[310] The list of cases is based on publicly accessible sources and CSIS believes it is likely incomplete.[310] According to CSIS, Chinese intelligence in the United States surpasses any other nation, including Russia.[310] While the economic and technological espionage costs the United States billions of dollars since 2000, Chinese espionage has also resulted in immeasurable harm to national security, particularly through the theft of weapon technology, including data related to nuclear weapons testing.[310][311] CSIS observed that in recent years, China has expanded its espionage efforts to include the theft of substantial amounts of personal information (PII), political manipulation, and influence operations.[310]
On August 3, 2023, the United States Department of Justice announced two indictments of two U.S. Navy servicemembers for transmitting military information to Chinese intelligence officers. Jinchao Wei, an active-duty Navy sailor on the amphibious assault ship, the U.S.S. Essex stationed at Naval Base San Diego, was indicted for conspiracy to send national defense information to a Chinese spy.[312] Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao was charged with receiving bribes from a Chinese spy in exchange for classified U.S. military information.[312] On January 8, 2024, Zhao was convicted of transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for bribery payments and sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine.[313]
Former Department of Defence SecretaryDennis Richardson has stated that China is engaged in extensive espionage against Australia, and included surveillance of Chinese Australian communities.[314][315] Australia believes that the Chinese government have been spying on Australian businesses.[316][317] A male Chinese student from Fujian was granted a protection visa by the Refugee Review Tribunal of Australia after revealing that he had been instructed to spy on Australian targets in exchange for an overseas scholarship, reporting to the Ministry of State Security.[318]
The Chinese government is suspected of orchestrating an attack on the email network used by the Parliament of Australia, allowing unauthorized access to thousands of emails and compromising the computers of several senior Australian politicians including Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and Minister of DefenseStephen Smith.[322][323]
Sheri Yan and a former Office of National Assessments (ONA) official, Roger Uren, were investigated by ASIO on suspicion of spying for China.[324] Uren, former Assistant Secretary responsible for the Asia section of ONA, was found to have removed documents pertaining to Chinese intelligence operations in Australia, and kept them in his apartment.[324] Yan was suspected of undertaking influence operations on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, and introducing Colonel Liu Chaoying, a military intelligence officer, to Australian contacts.[324][325][326]
Hackers either working for or on behalf of the government of China are suspected as being responsible for a cyber-espionage attack against an Australian defense company.[327][328] Designated APT Alf by the Australian Signals Directorate, the hackers stole approximately 30 gigabytes of data on projects including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the P-8 Poseidon, the C-130 Hercules and the Joint Direct Attack Munition.[327] APT Alf used a remote access tool dubbed "China Chopper".[327]
In February 2019, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Chinese businessman and real-estate developer Huang Xiangmo had been denied permanent residency by the Department of Home Affairs reportedly due to character and national security concerns.[331] Huang was the chairman of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China (ACPPRC), the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification (CCPPNR) and the Oceanic Alliance of the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China; all three either umbrella organizations of the United Front Work Department or having close ties with the UFWD itself.[332] Prior to his forced departure, Huang had been active in Australian political circles, donating some $2.7 million to both the Australian Labor and Liberal parties respectively as well as delivering $100,000 in cash to the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor party in breach of electoral donation laws.[333] In 2021, Huang was elected to Hong Kong's new electoral committee implemented under the 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes imposed on Hong Kong by the National People's Congress in Beijing with the electoral message of "Support[ing] the implementation of ‘patriots administer[ing] Hong Kong".[334]
In March 2019, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the body of a member of the Australian Liberal Party Bo ("Nick") Zhao had been inside a hotel room in Melbourne. Zhao had been a member of the Liberal party in the electorate of Chisholm, Victoria since 2015. Reports emerged afterwards that Zhao had been approached by a businessman originating from China who offered a $1 million in exchange for Zhao's running of candidacy to the Federal Parliament.[335] Zhao allegedly reported the encounter to the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation resulting in his death months later.[336] Member of the Parliamentary Joint Intelligence Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) Andrew Hastie stated that Zhao was: "the perfect target for cultivation", remarking that he was "a guy who was a bit of a high-roller in Melbourne, living beyond his means, someone who was vulnerable to a foreign state intelligence service cultivating [him]."[336]
In April 2023, it was reported that two individuals believed to be Chinese spies provided a Sydney-based businessman with cash-filled envelopes in exchange for intelligence on various topics, including an Australian government agreement involving the construction of Australian nuclear-powered submarines in collaboration with the United States and Britain.[337]
In February 2020, the Serious Fraud Office of New Zealand charged three Chinese nationals: Zhang Yikun, Zheng (Colin) Shijia, Zheng Hengjia and a member of parliament Jami Lee Ross over allegations of providing misleading information in relation to donations to the National Party donations amounting up to $100,000.[343] Zhang, a well known business man in the New Zealand Chinese community is a native of Guangdong province and allegedly served in the People's Liberation Army prior to immigrating to New Zealand in 2000[344] as well as the founder of Chao San General Association (CGSA) (Chinese:新西兰潮属总会; pinyin:Xīnxīlán cháo shǔ zǒng huì) registered with the Ministry of Ethnic Communities New Zealand.[345]
The stated purpose of the association is to serve the Teochow community (an ethnic sub-group) from Guangdong in New Zealand, however Chinese dissident and local journalist Chen Wenjie has claimed the association is part of the CCP's United Front Work Department (UFWD) and donations by the association including those to the Christchurch Foundation in the sum of some $2.1 million to assist the victims of the 2019 Mosque shootings are part of a coordinated strategy to: "purchase political influence" and engage in "strategic infiltration" of the political systems of host countries.[346]
Local media outlet Stuff also reported that Zhang led a delegation of New Zealand business leaders and politicians to visit the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO) of the State Council, the Chinese government agency responsible for liaison with overseas Chinese communities in 2017 and that in 2018 the association officially became part of the UFWD.[344] On 25 February 2020, the Serious Fraud Office reported that Zhang along with three others had been charged with obtaining by deception under the Crimes Act and providing false or misleading information under the Serious Fraud Office Act, with each pleading not guilty in Auckland District Court.[347]
On 23 July 2020 local media outlet newsroom reported that two Chinese dissidents: Yuezhong Wang and Weiguo Xi had been killed in a car crash on their way to Wellington to parliament to deliver a petition the New Zealand government about Chinese Communist Party political interference in New Zealand.[348] Xi was reportedly a former member of the PLA while in China who campaigned against government corruption and was detained by police as a result of his activism and the Chairman of the New Zealand Branch of The Federation for a Democratic China; with being a writer affiliated with the Chinese democracy movement.[349] While no comments were made by police in relation to the circumstances of death were suspicious, according to political researcher Anne-Marie Brady, significant speculation existed within the local Chinese diaspora community on whether Wang and Xi's death were the product of "saboutage".[350]
On 15 September 2020, the Stuff media company reported that the Chinese data intelligence company Zhenhua Data had collected open source data intelligence on 730 New Zealand politicians, diplomats, academics, business executives, sportspersons, judges, fraudsters and their families including Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister John Key's son Max, former Finance MinisterRuth Richardson, and sportsperson Barbara Kendall. Ten percent of Zhenhua Data's database had been leaked to American academic Chris Balding, who then passed the material to Canberra-based cybersecurity firm Internet 2.0.[351]
In August 2023, an NZSIS threat assessment which identified China, Iran, and Russia as the three foreign governments most responsible for foreign interference in New Zealand. According to the report, Chinese intelligence services were actively targeting ethnic Chinese communities in New Zealand including surveillance, monitoring, harassment, and threats of dissidents.[352][353]
In June 2023, Cuba agreed to host a Chinese spying facility that could allow the Chinese to eavesdrop on electronic communications across the southeastern United States, an area populated with key military installations and extensive maritime traffic.[354][355]
Peru
The computer security firm ESET reported that tens of thousands of blueprints were stolen from Peruvian corporations through malware, which were traced to Chinese e-mail accounts. This was done through an AutoCADworm called ACAD/Medre.A, written in AutoLISP, which located AutoCAD files, at which point they were sent to QQ and 163.com email accounts in China.[356] ESET researcher Righard Zwienenberg claimed this was Chinese industrial espionage.[357] The virus was mostly localized to Peru but spread to a few neighboring countries before being contained.[358]
Industrial espionage, also known as economic espionage, corporate spying, or corporate espionage, is a form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security.
The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formerly the Main Intelligence Directorate, and still commonly known by its previous abbreviation GRU, is the foreign military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The GRU controls the military intelligence service and maintains its own special forces units.
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or networks. These crimes involve the use of technology to commit fraud, identity theft, data breaches, computer viruses, scams, and expanded upon in other malicious acts. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm to individuals, organizations, and governments.
The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, Canada. It was founded by Ronald Deibert in 2001. The laboratory studies information controls that impact the openness and security of the Internet and that pose threats to human rights. The organization uses a "mixed methods" approach which combines computer-generated interrogation, data mining, and analysis with intensive field research, qualitative social science, and legal and policy analysis methods. The organization has played a major role in providing technical support to journalists investigating the use of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware on journalists, politicians and human rights advocates.
The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is the principal civilian intelligence, security and secret police agency of the People's Republic of China, responsible for foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, and the political security of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). One of the largest and most secretive intelligence organizations in the world, it maintains powerful branches at the provincial, city, municipality and township levels throughout China. The ministry's headquarters, Yidongyuan, is a large compound in Beijing's Haidian district.
Foreign espionage in New Zealand, while likely not as extensive as in many larger countries, has nevertheless taken place. The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which has primary responsibility for counter-intelligence work, states that there are foreign intelligence agents working in New Zealand today.
Cyberwarfare by Russia includes denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, dissemination of disinformation and propaganda, participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs, internet surveillance using SORM technology, persecution of cyber-dissidents and other active measures. According to investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov, some of these activities were coordinated by the Russian signals intelligence, which was part of the FSB and formerly a part of the 16th KGB department. An analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2017 outlines Russia's view of "Information Countermeasures" or IPb as "strategically decisive and critically important to control its domestic populace and influence adversary states", dividing 'Information Countermeasures' into two categories of "Informational-Technical" and "Informational-Psychological" groups. The former encompasses network operations relating to defense, attack, and exploitation and the latter to "attempts to change people's behavior or beliefs in favor of Russian governmental objectives."
Kaspersky Lab is a Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and operated by a holding company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, Natalya Kaspersky and Alexey De-Monderik. Kaspersky Lab develops and sells antivirus, internet security, password management, endpoint security, and other cybersecurity products and services.
Cyber spying, cyber espionage, or cyber-collection is the act or practice of obtaining secrets and information without the permission and knowledge of the holder of the information using methods on the Internet, networks or individual computers through the use of proxy servers, cracking techniques and malicious software including Trojan horses and spyware. Cyber espionage can be used to target various actors- individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments, and others- in order to obtain personal, economic, political or military advantages. It may wholly be perpetrated online from computer desks of professionals on bases in far away countries or may involve infiltration at home by computer trained conventional spies and moles or in other cases may be the criminal handiwork of amateur malicious hackers and software programmers.
An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy threat actor, typically a state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state-sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.
The United States has often accused the People's Republic of China of attempting to unlawfully acquire U.S. military technology and classified information as well as trade secrets of U.S. companies in order to support China's long-term military and commercial development. Chinese government agencies and affiliated personnel have been accused of using a number of methods to obtain U.S. technology, including espionage, exploitation of commercial entities, and a network of scientific, academic and business contacts. Prominent espionage cases include Larry Wu-tai Chin, Katrina Leung, Gwo-Bao Min, Chi Mak, Peter Lee, and Shujun Wang. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) maintains a bureau dedicated to espionage against the United States, the United States Bureau.
Russian espionage in the United States has occurred since at least the Cold War, and likely well before. According to the United States government, by 2007 it had reached Cold War levels.
Cyberwarfare is the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes. As a major developed economy, the United States is highly dependent on the Internet and therefore greatly exposed to cyber attacks. At the same time, the United States has substantial capabilities in both defense and offensive power projection thanks to comparatively advanced technology and a large military budget. Cyberwarfare presents a growing threat to physical systems and infrastructures that are linked to the internet. Malicious hacking from domestic or foreign enemies remains a constant threat to the United States. In response to these growing threats, the United States has developed significant cyber capabilities.
Cyberwarfare by China is the aggregate of cyberattacks attributed to the organs of the People's Republic of China and various related advanced persistent threat (APT) groups.
PLA Unit 61398 is the Military Unit Cover Designator (MUCD) of a People's Liberation Army advanced persistent threat unit that has been alleged to be a source of Chinese computer hacking attacks. The unit is stationed in Pudong, Shanghai, and has been cited by US intelligence agencies since 2002.
Cozy Bear is a Russian advanced persistent threat hacker group believed to be associated with Russian foreign intelligence by United States intelligence agencies and those of allied countries. Dutch signals intelligence (AIVD) and American intelligence had been monitoring the group since 2014 and was able to link the hacker group to the Russian foreign intelligence agency (SVR) after compromising security cameras in their office. CrowdStrike and Estonian intelligence reported a tentative link to the Russian domestic/foreign intelligence agency (FSB). Various groups designate it CozyCar, CozyDuke, Dark Halo, The Dukes, Midnight Blizzard, NOBELIUM, Office Monkeys, StellarParticle, UNC2452 with a tentative connection to Russian hacker group YTTRIUM. Symantec reported that Cozy Bear had been compromising diplomatic organizations and national governments since at least 2010. Der Spiegel published documents in 2023 purporting to link Russian IT firm NTC Vulkan to Cozy Bear operations.
Fancy Bear is a Russian cyber espionage group. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has said with a medium level of confidence that it is associated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office as well as security firms SecureWorks, ThreatConnect, and Mandiant, have also said the group is sponsored by the Russian government. In 2018, an indictment by the United States Special Counsel identified Fancy Bear as GRU Unit 26165. This refers to its unified Military Unit Number of the Russian army regiments. The headquarters of Fancy Bear and the entire military unit, which reportedly specializes in state-sponsored cyberattacks and decryption of hacked data, were targeted by Ukrainian drones on July 24, 2023, the rooftop on an adjacent building collapsed as a result of the explosion.
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. is an American cybersecurity technology company based in Austin, Texas. It provides endpoint security, threat intelligence, and cyberattack response services.
DarkMatter Group is a computer security company founded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2014 or 2015. The company has described itself as a purely defensive company, however in 2016, it became a contractor for Project Raven, to help the UAE surveil other governments, militants, and human rights activists. It has employed former U.S. intelligence operatives and graduates of the Israel Defense Force technology units.
Double Dragon is a hacking organization with alleged ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). Classified as an advanced persistent threat, the organization was named by the United States Department of Justice in September 2020 in relation to charges brought against five Chinese and two Malaysian nationals for allegedly compromising more than 100 companies around the world.
↑ Spalding, Robert (2019). Stealth war: how China took over while America's elite slept. Kaufman, Seth. Penguin Random House. p.148. ISBN978-0-593-08434-2. OCLC1102323878.
↑ van Dantzig, Maarten; Schamper, Erik (19 December 2019). "Wocao APT20"(PDF). fox-it.com. NCC Group. Archived from the original(PDF) on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
↑ Badilla, Nelson (25 May 2017). "China, Vietnam behind cyber attacks on PH, Asia". The Manila Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. He cited as an example the Conference Crew, which was founded in 2016 and has since expanded its operations early this year against critics of public and private institutions in seven countries, including the Philippines, where it collected important and strategic information that it will use for the interest and advantage of China. Boland said the Conference Crew sponsored by the Chinese government has increased its attacks on the defense and banking industries, financial services, telecommunications, consulting and media. The Conference Crew attack on the government is 'predominantly [focused] on national security and diplomacy'.
↑ Lee, Justina (21 August 2018). "Suspected China cyberhack on Singapore is a wake-up call for Asia". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018. Without naming names, Singapore's government said state actors were behind the attack that saw thieves take information such as names, identification numbers, and outpatient prescription details. Experts are pointing fingers at China.
↑ Gallagher, Sean (21 April 2017). "Researchers claim China trying to hack South Korea missile defense efforts". Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. FireEye claims to have found evidence that the attacks were staged by two groups connected to the Chinese military. One, dubbed Tonto Team by FireEye, operates from the same region of China as previous North Korean hacking operations. The other is known among threat researchers as APT10, or 'Stone Panda'—the same group believed to be behind recent espionage efforts against US companies lobbying the Trump administration on global trade. These groups have also been joined in attacks by two 'patriotic hacking' groups not directly tied to the Chinese government, Hultquist told the Journal—including one calling itself 'Denounce Lotte Group' targeting the South Korean conglomerate Lotte. Lotte made the THAAD deployment possible through a land swap with the South Korean government.
↑ Berlinger, Joshua; Perry, Juliet (27 April 2017). "China tried to hack group linked to controversial missile defense system, US cybersecurity firm says". CNN. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. A cybersecurity firm in the United States believes state-sponsored Chinese hackers were trying to infiltrate an organization with connections to a US-built missile system in South Korea that Beijing firmly opposes. [...] When asked if the group could be North Koreans posing as Chinese hackers, Hultquist said his team had gathered plenty of evidence to prove the group's origins, including their use of the Chinese language.
↑ Kim, Yoo-chul (5 July 2018). "China suspected of stealing Samsung, SK patents". Korea Times. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018. Chinese companies are suspected of stealing the intellectual property of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to obtain advanced technological know-how from them, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
↑ Watts, Steve (13 November 2007). "Some Seagate Hard Drives Virus-Infected". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. The company is warning users today that a small percentage of Maxtor Basics Personal Storage 3200 hard drives purchased after August 2007 were shipped with a virus called 'virus.win32.autorun.ah.'
↑ Wu, J.R.; Lee, Carol (10 March 2017). Macfie, Nick (ed.). "Taiwan detains Chinese student in unusual suspected spying case". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017. 'A man named Zhou Hongxu has been detained,' Liao Chien-yu, a judge and spokesman for the Taipei District Court, told Reuters. Liao said the named suspect was the same individual being cited in local media reports. Prosecutors asked that Zhou be taken into custody on suspicion of violating national security laws and the request was approved by the court, Liao said, adding that Zhou could be held for at least two months.
↑ Hsu, Elizabeth (8 May 2017). "Suspected Chinese spy to be held in Taiwan for another two months". 3=Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017. Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭), 29, from Liaoning Province in China, was enrolled in an MBA program at National Chengchi University in Taipei 2012–2016 [...] Investigators said that Zhou allegedly was in contact with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, whom he had met while studying in Taiwan, and was trying to persuade the contact to hand over classified information in exchange for free trips abroad.
↑ "Retired military police officer indicted for spying". Taipei Times. 13 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017. A retired military police officer who was on the security detail of former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was yesterday indicted for spying for China, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office said. The office said it had charged Major Wang Hung-ju (王鴻儒), 46, with violating the National Security Act (國家安全法) after he was found to be involved in espionage.
↑ Pan, Jason (11 May 2017). "Second suspect investigated in spy case". Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Army Major General Hsieh Chia-kang (謝嘉康), who is being investigated over allegations he leaked classified information on Taiwan's missile defense systems to China, was released late on Tuesday after posting bail, prosecutors said.
↑ Pan, Jason (6 January 2018). "Spy possibly targeted top secret army unit: reports". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office is looking into allegations that New Party Youth Corps member Lin Ming-cheng (林明正) passed on personal information and contact details of soldiers in the Army Aviation and Special Forces Command's secretive Airborne Special Service Company (高空特種勤務中隊), also known as the 'Liang Shan Special Operations Company' (涼山特勤隊) to former Chinese student Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭), who has been convicted of doing intelligence work for China, the newspaper said yesterday.
↑ Pan, Jason (8 March 2018). "Retired colonel arrested over espionage charges". The Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018. Investigators said that documents show Lan passed on the personal information of six colonels and lieutenant colonels, as well as other university officers and military unit members, to China. Lan allegedly also passed on other classified military materials provided by his former colleagues and that he had agreed to develop a spy network in Taiwan to conduct espionage for China.
↑ Collier, Kevin (22 August 2017). "China Is Boosting Its Phishing Attacks – Against Vietnam". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017. Both the lures, as well as others Read said his team has seen, contain malware exploits of Microsoft Word, a common tactic against computers that either run pirated versions of Microsoft Office or versions that haven't been updated.
↑ "Belgium accuses Chinese government of cyber-espionage". Sophos. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2009. According to media reports, Justice Minister Jo Vandeurzen has claimed that hacking attacks against the Belgian Federal Government have originated in China, and are likely to have been at the bequest of the Beijing government. Separately, Belgian minister of foreign affairs Karel De Gucht has told parliament that his ministry was the subject of cyberespionage by Chinese agents several weeks ago. [...] There has been speculation that China may be interested in spying on Belgium because NATO and the European Union have headquarters in the country. It has also been suggested that China may be interested in exploring Belgium's historical connections with Central Africa.
↑ "European media repeatedly fabricate 'Chinese espionage'". People's Daily. 1 July 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2012. Some European countries deliberately sensationalized the so-called 'Chinese espionage' in the past half a month. At the end of April, France set off a new upsurge of 'Chinese girl student as industrial espionage'; on 9 May, various leading media in Sweden followed suit by creating the Karolinska 'Chinese scholar espionage'; on 11 May, L'Agence France-Presse and a Belgian news website concocted a 'Chinese economic espionage website' at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. For a second, the 'Chinese espionage' incidents had spread like wildfire in the European continent. [...] When asked the reason for these false reports, Sun Ling, Counselor for Education of Chinese Embassy in Sweden, noted that the fast development of China's economy made a few people who hold biased attitude towards China feel ill at ease. They think that China's rapid development was achieved through illegal means such as grabbing advanced techniques from the Western countries. If we have a look at the latest development of such incidents, the truth will be clear that such moves are a vicious undercurrent discriminating and demonizing China.
↑ Boylan, Dan. "Chinese hackers struck days before Helsinki summit". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. The attacks on Finnish internet-connected devices originating from ChinaNet, China's largest internet backbone, began spiking 12 July, just four days before Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin met in Helsinki, claimed the analysis by the Seattle-based cybersecurity firm F5.
↑ Fitsanakis, Joseph (19 March 2021). "Finnish intelligence identifies Chinese state-linked group behind cyber-attack". intelNews. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021. But on Thursday the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO) issued a press release about the incident. It said the attack was likely part of a state-sponsored cyber espionage operation. It also identified those responsible for the attack as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 31.
↑ Bigg, Matthew Mpoke, ed. (10 December 2017). "German intelligence unmasks alleged covert Chinese social media profiles". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017. Germany's intelligence service has published the details of social network profiles which it says are fronts faked by Chinese intelligence to gather personal information about German officials and politicians [...] Among the faked profiles whose details were published were that of 'Rachel Li', identified as a 'headhunter' at 'RiseHR', and an 'Alex Li', a 'Project Manager at Center for Sino-Europe Development Studies'.
↑ Grieshaber, Kirsten (10 December 2017). "Germany's intelligence head warns of increased cyberspying from China". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017. Hans-Georg Maassen said his agency, known by its German acronym BfV, believes more than 10,000 Germans have been targeted by Chinese intelligence agents posing as consultants, headhunters or researchers, primarily on the social networking site LinkedIn.
↑ Ramthun, Christian (3 February 2017). "German Intelligence Agency Warns of Chinese Espionage". Handelsblatt. Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017. Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is warning of increasing Chinese espionage all the way up to the German chancellery, according to an intelligence report obtained by weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, a sister publication of Handelsblatt Global. The report states that Chinese spies increasingly utilize social networks such as Facebook or the business networking site Xing to recruit informants.
↑ Hernández, Javier C.; Eddy, Melissa; Zhao, Iris (11 December 2017). "China Denies Using LinkedIn to Recruit German Informants". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017. In Beijing on Monday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the investigation 'complete hearsay and groundless'. He urged German officials to 'speak and act more responsibly'.
1 2 3 Hakan Tanriverdi; Svea Eckert; Jan Strozyk; Maximilian Zierer; Rebecca Ciesielski (24 July 2019). "Attacking the Heart of the German Industry". Bayerischer Rundfunk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
↑ "Former Polish MP charged with spying for Russia, China: report". Radio Poland. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018. Mateusz P., who was once an MP for Poland's Samoobrona (Self-Defence) party and headed the Zmiana (Change) grouping, has been charged with working for the Russian and Chinese intelligence services and against Poland's national interests, broadcaster RMF FM reported, citing a bill of indictment that it said prosecutors had submitted against the suspect.
↑ Pronczuk, Monika; Yang, Yuan (11 January 2019). "Chinese Huawei employee arrested in Poland on spying allegations". The Financial Times. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019. The Chinese executive is a sales director for Huawei in Poland and his full name is Weijing Wang, the person said. Mr Wang also uses the first name Stanislaw. According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Wang worked in the Chinese consulate in Gdansk for more than four years as the assistant to the general consul before working for Huawei.
↑ "Chinese intelligence using fake online profiles to poach Swiss knowledge". Swissinfo. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018. The article claims that profiles with anodyne names such as Lily Hu or Rachel Li contact university staff or researchers in Switzerland and Europe, then encourage them to transfer know-how to China.
↑ "Tibet group thanks Sweden in 'Chinese spy' case". BBC News. 13 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018. The indictment accuses Mr Gyantsan of having spied on Tibetan community members in Sweden for 'cash benefits' and says he met 'a representative of the Chinese state repeatedly in Poland, in connection with this activity'. The espionage allegedly took place in 2015–2017. When he was arrested, on returning from Warsaw, he was found to be carrying $6,000 (£4,200) in cash.
↑ "Man charged in Sweden for spying on Tibetans for China". The Local. 11 April 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018. Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told Swedish broadcaster SVT that he man had been in contact with Chinese officials in Poland and Finland, and was paid 50,000 kronor ($6,000) on at least one occasion.
↑ Bronskill, Jim (23 April 2017). "Accused in naval spy case presses for info on CSIS wiretaps of Chinese Embassy". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. A naval engineer accused of trying to spy for Beijing is asking a federal judge for full access to information about Canadian Security Intelligence Service wiretaps of the Chinese Embassy. [...] Huang, 53 at the time, worked for Lloyd's Register, a subcontractor to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. He was charged under the Security of Information Act with attempting to communicate secret information to a foreign power. Police said the information related to elements of the federal shipbuilding strategy, which includes patrol ships, frigates, naval auxiliary vessels, science research vessels and icebreakers.
↑ Packham, Colin (12 May 2017). Birsel, Robert (ed.). "China conducting extensive espionage against Australia: defense official". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. 'It is no secret that China is very active in intelligence activities directed against us. It is more than cyber,' Dennis Richardson, secretary of the Defense Department, said in a speech in Canberra. [...] 'The Chinese government keeps a watchful eye inside Australian Chinese communities and effectively controls some Chinese-language media in Australia,' said Richardson.
↑ McKenzie, Nick; Baker, Richard (29 July 2017). "Charges loom for ex-intelligence official Roger Uren after ASIO raid". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017. Fairfax Media has confirmed one of Yan's contacts was a Chinese military intelligence operative and reputed arms broker, Colonel Liu Chaoying. Yan introduced Colonel Liu to her Australian network, including a wealthy Australian businessman who took Colonel Liu on several dinner dates.
↑ "New Zealand MP Jian Yang denies being a Chinese spy". BBC News. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2017. They say Mr Yang, who was elected in 2011, was investigated for the decade he spent in China, where he received military and intelligence training at so-called 'spy schools'.
↑ Jones, Nicholas (14 September 2017). "National MP didn't name Chinese military institutes in citizenship application". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017. A National MP who taught English to Chinese spies didn't declare the names of the military institutions where that happened to New Zealand authorities. Jian Yang told the Herald he didn't name the Air Force Engineering University or Luoyang People's Liberation Army University of Foreign Languages when making the applications that led to New Zealand citizenship, which he was granted in 2004.
↑ "National: no idea of SIS inquiry into Yang". Newsroom. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017. Goodfellow said he could not recall if the party knew Yang had spent a decade at the People's Liberation Army-Air Force Engineering School and the Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute but it did know about him studying there. Told the two venues were commonly training grounds for Chinese intelligence officers, and the language institute specialized in preparing spies linguistically, Goodfellow said, 'He is a very good linguist.'
↑ White, Edward (13 September 2017). "China-born New Zealand MP responds to FT report". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017. A Chinese-born member of New Zealand's parliament denied being a spy for China at a press conference on Wednesday, although he acknowledged having taught students English for information gathering at one of China's leading military academies [...] He also said the reports about his background were a 'smear campaign' and suggested that anti-Chinese racism was the motive.
↑ Brooks, David (1 July 2018). "New Zealand ends China honeymoon over security concerns". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. The debate over political influence within New Zealand intensified last year with revelations that Jian Yang, a legislator in New Zealand's then-ruling center-right National Party, had taught English to Chinese spies before leaving China in the 1990s and becoming a New Zealand citizen in 2004. Yang denied having spied for China and remains in Parliament.
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