Cyberattacks expected to rise as China-based state-linked hackers target Hong Kong organisations
Cybersecurity firm thinks attacks by hacker groups will increase amid political strife in the city
Cyberattacks in Hong Kong are expected to rise, according to security experts who have identified at least seven state-linked hacker groups in mainland China that have been targeting organisations in the city since 2014.
Bryce Boland, the chief technology officer for Asia-Pacific at cybersecurity company FireEye, said on Thursday that cyberattacks by the hacker groups were likely to increase as political strife in Hong Kong continued.
READ MORE: Hong Kong cyber attacks spiked during Occupy Central, academic’s study finds
“Political unrest in Hong Kong doesn’t sit well with the [Chinese Communist] party,” Boland said.
“Hong Kong is a perfect target for advanced attackers. It’s a global business hub with simmering political tensions. It’s also in close proximity with ... actors with an interest in Hong Kong’s political and economic development,” he added.
FireEye’s intelligence assessment found the seven Chinese hacker groups to be state-linked based on a range of factors, including the targeted victims, information sourced, resources used and forensic evidence from cyberattacks.
“During Occupy Central, we saw a big uptick in hacking incidents,” Boland said. “We see a consistent level of attacks against [some Hong Kong organisations] coming from [mainland] China, and we expect that this will continue.”
About 43 per cent of FireEye’s Hong Kong clients were subject to an advanced attack by hacker groups in the second half of last year, compared to the 15 per cent global average, according to the company’s global survey of more than 4,000 clients.