Authorities in China have blamed a hacking group linked to Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for a major cyberattack on a technology company. The group is also said to be behind coordinated attacks on more than 1,000 critical networks on the mainland. Past targets have included military, energy and government information systems, according to a statement from Guangzhou police.
The statement, released on May 20, describes the attacks as widespread and technically simple, using simple, well-known methods such as phishing emails, brute-force attacks and low-quality trojans. The hackers allegedly used IP addresses from abroad – including the US, France and Japan – to cover their tracks.
See also: Careto hackers: Are they linked to the Spanish government?
The Tianhe District Public Security Bureau identified the group behind a recent attack on a local technology company in Guangzhou. Through technical analysis, Chinese authorities believed the group was linked to Taiwan.
Police also said the group had been particularly active over the past year, describing its actions as "malicious sabotage" aimed at disrupting mainland security.
The researchers said the Taiwan-based group had hacked more than 1,000 key information systems in more than 10 provinces in China in recent years. Targets reportedly included the military, power grids, water infrastructure, transportation systems and government networks.
They said the attackers tried to cover their tracks, routing attacks through virtual private networks (VPNs), foreign cloud servers and "zombie machines" to hide behind IP addresses from multiple countries.
See also: SideWinder hackers target government institutions in Asia
Zhou Hongyi, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm 360 Security Technology, said his team detected the recent cyberattack in Guangzhou and attributed it to Taiwan by analyzing malicious code uploaded to the back end system of a mainland company.
Zhou said the company had tracked and flagged five different Taiwan-based APT groups, accusing them of targeting sensitive Chinese sectors, such as defense, diplomacy and shipping. APT groups are often state-sponsored or highly organized.
The expert described Taiwanese hackers as "technically unsophisticated but very active" and explained that their methods were quite simple and common, contrasting them with elite American services, which he called "the top adversaries in cyberspace."
Taiwan had not responded to China's accusations of an attack on a tech company (and other attacks). It usually denies such allegations.
's Ministry of State Security has repeatedly accused Taiwan of recruiting hackers to target the country's critical infrastructure.
See also: Hackers targeted government webmails – Greece also targeted
🔒 Protect your privacy with Proton VPN
Swiss VPN from the creators of Proton Mail — strict no-logs policy, strong encryption, and built-in NetShield that blocks ads, trackers, & malware.
- ✔ No-logs, based in Switzerland (except 14-Eyes)
- ✔ NetShield: blocks ads, trackers & malicious domains
- ✔ Covers all devices — free version available
The link is an affiliate link — SecNews may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. It does not affect the independence of our article writing.
In March, China publicly named four Taiwanese military personnel as alleged hackers, a claim that ICEFCOM's cyberwarfare unit rejected as disinformation.
The systematic instrumentalization of cyberspace, especially between states like China and Taiwan, carries risks. A miscalculated or misinterpreted cyberwar could have real, geopolitical impact, especially if linked to critical infrastructure (electricity, transportation, defense).
Source: www.scmp.com
