Chinese hacking targets politics and universities – Report

Hackers from China have targeted political issues and universities in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Microsoft said in its 2021 Digital Defense Report, which covers the period between July 2020 and June 2021, writes Stephanie Chiang for Taiwan News.

Cristin Goodwin, head of Microsoft’s Digital Security Unit, noted China’s geopolitical goals, reported AP. According to the October 2021 report, the “Chromium” cyber activity group targeted “sensitive social, economic and political issues surrounding Hong Kong and Taiwan” in addition to China’s neighbours, such as India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Thailand. As universities in Taiwan and Hong Kong serve as hubs for Beijing resistance movements, Chromium “was most active against universities in Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by government entities and telecommunication providers in the other countries”.

The findings mean that Chinese hackers are no longer just interested in stealing intellectual property, per Microsoft. Microsoft said it found that Chinese nation-state hackers “target the US political landscape for insight into policy shifts”, and will remain a threat to entities as they seek to collect intelligence on investments and negotiations related to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Full report on the Taiwan News site