US and ‘Five Eyes’ allies warn of LinkedIn China spying threat
The FBI, MI5 and other agencies say Chinese spies are using such sites to recruit people with access to classified information
The US and its “Five Eyes” intelligence partners issued what they said was an unprecedented joint notice warning about attempts by Chinese spies to use websites such as LinkedIn to recruit assets.
“China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel – and anyone with access to classified or privileged information,” according to a joint statement by the FBI, Britain’s MI5 security service and the domestic intelligence agencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
“These actors use an aggressive online recruitment strategy whereby intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, think tanks or human resources firms, and place online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts,” the agencies said.
The warning illustrates continued concern about Chinese spying among the US and its allies despite efforts by the countries to improve ties with Beijing in recent months.
US President Donald Trump met Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing last month and Britain’s top diplomat, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, has visited the country this week.
“China’s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes,” according to the notice.