CHINA-BACKED HACKERS TARGET GLOBAL DIPLOMATS

China-linked hackers breach security, widen global cyber espionage net.

- AGENCIES

A hacking group with ties to China targeted diplomats in Southeast Asia and various global entities earlier in the year, as reported by The Epoch Times, citing information from Google.

The attack, which Google identified in March, was deemed "likely in support of cyber espionage operations that align with the strategic interests of the People's Republic of China (PRC)," according to a blog post from Google's threat intelligence group on August 25.

The hackers used strategies such as captive portal hijacking to distribute malware disguised as legitimate software or plugin updates, which ultimately enabled them to implant a backdoor into the systems of their targets, as referenced in the TET report.

Google stated that it had notified all Gmail and Workspace users who were affected by this hacking incident, although the complete extent of the victims remained undisclosed.