US AND UK SANCTION CHINA OVER ALLEGED CYBER SPYING

1. The United States and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions and criminal charges against a Chinese government-linked hacking group called Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) on Monday.
2. This campaign, which lasted for years, targeted political information in both countries.
3. Five Eyes intelligence partner New Zealand said it was attacked by state-affiliated hacking cell APT40.

Background

1. Relations between China and Western countries, especially the United States, have seen increasing tensions in recent years.
2. Concerns over cyber security, intellectual property theft and human rights violations have been at the forefront of these tensions.
3. The US has repeatedly accused China of engaging in state-sponsored hacking activities.
4. The purpose of these activities is to gain economic and strategic benefits by targeting American companies and government agencies.

Group of hackers

1. The US and UK have identified the hacking group behind the alleged cyber espionage campaign as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31), also known by various names such as Zirconium, Violet Typhoon, Judgment Panda and Altair.
2. The US Justice Department says APT 31 operates under the direction of China's Ministry of State Security, based in the city of Wuhan.
3. The group has been implicated in high-profile attacks in the past, including the targeting of personal emails belonging to campaign staffers working for Joe Biden in 2020.

Cyber espionage campaign – possible targets

The alleged cyber espionage campaign launched by APT 31 had a wide range of targets, including:

1. Politicians and government officials who have been critical of China
2. Journalists and media organizations
3. Human rights activist and democracy advocate
4. Companies of strategic importance in sectors like defence, telecom and manufacturing.

Cyber attacks – techniques employed

APT31 reportedly uses techniques to infiltrate the computer systems and networks of its targets. These techniques include:

1. Spear-phishing emails containing malicious links or attachments
2. Exploitation of software vulnerabilities.
3. Malware is designed to avoid detection by antivirus software
4. Credential theft and password spraying attacks to gain unauthorized access to accounts
5. Supply chain attacks to compromise third-party software providers and infiltrate target networks

Cyber espionage campaign and its impact

The alleged cyber espionage campaign will have far-reaching consequences for the targeted individuals and organizations as well as broader international relations between China and Western countries. Some notable effects include:

1. Compromise of sensitive data, including intellectual property, trade secrets and personal information
2. Disruption of business operations and financial loss to affected companies.
3. Loss of confidence in the integrity of the global technology supply chain and software and hardware components
4. Tensions escalated between China and the US, Britain and other allies, leading to further economic and diplomatic sanctions

The US and UK government emphasize the need for a unified international response to counter such malicious cyber activities.

Response from China: China has accused the US and Britain of hypocrisy, claiming that their extensive surveillance programs and cyber capabilities contradict their criticisms of China's cyber activities. China positions itself as a strong advocate of cybersecurity, highlighting its calls for international cooperation to tackle global cyber threats and comparing its approach with the US and Britain.