China is no ally to the United States. In fact, China is a direct US competitor that has every interest in overtaking America on the global stage.
Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, China has sided with the former and openly blamed America for the destruction caused by Russia. At the same time, China is reportedly weighing the pros and cons of attacking Taiwan.
When it comes to competition and trying to outdo the United States, the Chinese government has zero qualms about dirty, underhanded tactics.
This explains why China has since been discovered as the driving force behind a long-term, espionage-motivated cyberattack, per Newsmax.
The Latest on Chinese Espionage
As a leading cybersecurity organization, Cybereason has some critical insights that Americans will want to be aware of.
Dating back to 2019, the Chinese government has been trying to get classified information regarding manufacturing and technology. To acquire this information from North America, Europe, and East Asia, China set into motion hacking breaches.
In fact, these hacks were so covert that the companies targeted were completely in the dark. Cybereason furthermore points out how these breaches are the most significant attacks carried out by the Chinese government.
The cybersecurity firm Cyberreason has uncovered a sophisticated Chinese state-backed cyber espionage campaign that has been operating undetected since at least 2019 and has affected over 30 companies. @EamonJavers has more: pic.twitter.com/KSQQaiJuAX
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) May 4, 2022
Data put at risk includes IP information, blueprints, intellectual property, and more. Cybereason has since alerted the FBI and Justice Department of its findings.
Of course, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy denies all accounts of these reports. Per Liu Pengyu, China doesn’t “condone” cyberattacks and refutes so-called “groundless speculation.”
The Chinese Embassy spokesperson then went on to claim that Cybereason should focus on hacks against China allegedly sponsored by America.
Stronger Security Measures
The fact that China was able to carry out a cyberattack for years undetected is a real cause for concern. It’s also a strong indicator of the need to boost cybersecurity measures here at home.
Time will only tell whether or not China carries out similar attacks like this against the US and other nations. Yet, here in America, prevention from these sorts of breaches is always better than trying to do damage control.
Operation CuckooBees🚨 Researchers at Cybereason have discovered a massive Chinese intellectual property theft operation assessed to be the work of Chinese APT Winnti https://t.co/DN3WNel2c8 #research #CuckooBees #Winnti pic.twitter.com/KnjgQXWYBi
— Cybereason (@cybereason) May 4, 2022
Truth be told, there’s no way to be totally sure what all China managed to obtain during the years that its hack flew completely under the radar.
Future events will expose whether or not this new information from Cybereason causes US companies to beef up their cybersecurity systems and run regular checks for any possible breaches.
At the level of the federal government, top officials might also do well to ensure their protection of classified information is air-tight.
What do you think about the news that China’s been running a long cybersecurity attack since 2019 without being detected up until recently? Please let us know in the comments area.
