https://www.scmp.com/rss/297203/feed A computer hacker is an online security expert who exploits weaknesses in a computer system or network. The term 'white hat' refers to hackers who operate for non-malicious reasons, for example, testing security systems for large companies. A 'black hat' is a hacker driven by malice or personal gain. A 'grey' hat usually hacks a system to point out a security flaw, then offers to fix it for a fee. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed sophisticated coordination and is just the latest tactic in a cyber conflict that pits the US and Israel against Iran and its digital proxies. As Iran and its supporters seek... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:49:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and has posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work résumé and other personal documents. Many of those records appeared to be more than a decade old. “Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348214/pro-iran-hackers-say-they-breached-fbi-chief-patels-email-account-post-personal-files?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:39:34 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian users are among victims targeted by a newly uncovered iPhone spyware operation that researchers say was used by multiple threat actors across countries, in a sign that sophisticated mobile-hacking tools are spreading through a murkier commercial and criminal ecosystem. The spyware, known as DarkSword, was observed targeting entities in Malaysia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and was uncovered by investigators shortly after they exposed another exploit kit, Coruna, linked to the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347739/iphone-spyware-darksword-hits-malaysia-exposing-spread-sophisticated-hacking-tools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347739/iphone-spyware-darksword-hits-malaysia-exposing-spread-sophisticated-hacking-tools?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:31:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An Iran-linked hacking group claimed responsibility Wednesday for a cyberattack on US medical technology giant Stryker, saying it had extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for military strikes on Iran. “Our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success,” Handala said in a statement. It described the hack as retribution for what it called “the brutal attack on the Minab school” in Iran, where authorities said more than 150 people were killed, and for “ongoing cyber... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346277/iran-group-hacks-us-medical-firm-retaliation-strike-girls-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346277/iran-group-hacks-us-medical-firm-retaliation-strike-girls-school?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:45:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen A hacker group with links to China recently used Venezuela-themed phishing emails in a malware campaign targeting US government-related entities, as cyberattack campaigns increasingly leverage geopolitical materials, according to Swiss cybersecurity firm Acronis. A malware campaign has used recent developments between the US and Venezuela as “thematic lures” to attack US government and policy-related entities with a back door that has espionage-focused capabilities, including basic remote... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340071/china-linked-hackers-used-venezuela-themed-phishing-target-us-agencies-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3340071/china-linked-hackers-used-venezuela-themed-phishing-target-us-agencies-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:39:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea’s president ordered on Tuesday swift action to penalise those responsible for a major data leak at e-commerce giant Coupang affecting more than 33 million customers. It was “astonishing that the company failed to recognise the breach for five months”, President Lee Jae-myung said, adding that the “scale of the damage is massive”. Coupang is South Korea’s most popular online shopping platform, serving millions of customers with lightning-fast deliveries of products from groceries to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334890/south-koreas-coupang-took-5-months-spot-data-leak-affecting-over-33-million-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334890/south-koreas-coupang-took-5-months-spot-data-leak-affecting-over-33-million-people?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:49:47 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese drink giant Asahi Group Holdings said on Thursday an investigation has found that personal information linked to around 2 million customers and employees may have been leaked in a cyberattack that hit its domestic servers in late September. “I painfully feel the responsibility of management” with regard to the cyberattack, said Asahi president Atsushi Katsuki at its first press conference since the maker of Asahi Super Dry beers was hit by a system failure on September 29, acknowledging... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334328/japans-asahi-admits-cybersecurity-weakness-says-hackers-stole-info-2-million-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334328/japans-asahi-admits-cybersecurity-weakness-says-hackers-stole-info-2-million-people?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 06:47:45 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334203/us-philippines-take-cyberwar-games-next-level-amid-pressure-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334203/us-philippines-take-cyberwar-games-next-level-amid-pressure-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:59:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The websites of several Danish political parties were targeted on Monday in a cyberattack claimed by pro-Russian hackers on the eve of local and regional elections. The Danish Agency for Social Security said it was “aware that certain political party websites were unavailable this morning due to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks”, adding that it was monitoring the situation along with military intelligence. “DDoS attacks are part of the normal picture,” it said in a statement. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333158/cyberattack-hits-danish-political-parties-election-eve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333158/cyberattack-hits-danish-political-parties-election-eve?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:45:46 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A team of researchers has uncovered what they say is the first reported use of artificial intelligence to direct a hacking campaign in a largely automated fashion. The AI company Anthropic said this week that it had disrupted a cyber operation that its researchers had linked to the Chinese government. The operation involved the use of an artificial intelligence system to direct the hacking campaigns, which researchers called a disturbing development that could greatly expand the reach of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332896/anthropic-warns-first-reported-ai-driven-hacking-campaign-linked-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332896/anthropic-warns-first-reported-ai-driven-hacking-campaign-linked-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:11:31 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau A US-based cybersecurity ratings agency has given the Hong Kong government, its Security Bureau and several departments low scores for their cyber defences, prompting local authorities to counter that the grading system used has limitations. The risk assessment, seen by the Post, comes amid concerns over the government exempting itself from the city’s first anti-hacking legislation. The government acknowledged the findings but mounted a robust defence, with its Digital Policy Office (DPO) saying... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3332252/which-hong-kong-authorities-score-well-cybersecurity-and-which-dont?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3332252/which-hong-kong-authorities-score-well-cybersecurity-and-which-dont?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:30:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A leading Norwegian public transport operator has said it will introduce stricter security requirements and step up anti-hacking measures after a test on new Chinese-made electric buses showed the manufacturer could remotely turn them off. Transport operator Ruter said test results published last week showed that Chinese bus maker Yutong Group had access to their control systems for software updates and diagnostics. “In theory, this could be exploited to affect the bus,” it said. The tests –... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331691/concern-norway-after-test-shows-chinese-made-buses-can-be-disabled-remotely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3331691/concern-norway-after-test-shows-chinese-made-buses-can-be-disabled-remotely?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:15:04 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Experts and officials at a major cybersecurity summit in Singapore have called for deeper collaboration between governments and tech giants, warning that fragmented efforts are no match for increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Speaking at the Singapore International Cyber Week, policymakers and industry leaders said closer partnerships were essential to sharing threat intelligence, innovating jointly and mounting coordinated responses to cyberattacks. These partnerships were crucial as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329974/singapore-cyber-summit-stresses-need-unified-front-amid-rising-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329974/singapore-cyber-summit-stresses-need-unified-front-amid-rising-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:26:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fallout from a cyberattack that affected check-in systems at several European airports extended into a second full day on Sunday, as passengers faced dozens of cancelled and delayed flights and airport teams scrambled to limit the damage to travel plans. Starting late on Friday, major airports in Brussels, London and Berlin were hit by disruptions to electronic systems that snarled up check-in and sent airline staffers trying options like handwriting boarding passes or using backup laptops. Many... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326309/delays-continue-european-airports-following-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326309/delays-continue-european-airports-following-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:26:01 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A suspected North Korean state-sponsored hacking group used ChatGPT to create a deepfake of a military ID document to attack a target in South Korea, according to cybersecurity researchers. Attackers used the artificial intelligence tool to make a fake draft of a South Korean military identification card to create a realistic-looking image meant to make a phishing attempt seem more credible, said the research published on Sunday by Genians, a South Korean cybersecurity firm. Instead of including... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3325523/chatgpt-deepfakes-military-ids-north-korean-hackers-researchers-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3325523/chatgpt-deepfakes-military-ids-north-korean-hackers-researchers-find?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 02:02:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji It began, as so many epochal crimes do, with a single breach. But by the time the dust had settled on the Bybit hack, nearly US$1.5 billion in digital assets had vanished, exposing not just the vulnerabilities of Asia’s fledgling crypto markets but the growing reach of North Korea’s cyber operatives. The hack on February 21 represented a quantum leap in the scale and sophistication of cyber operations emanating from North Korea, according to a report released last month by American blockchain... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321262/how-north-koreas-us15-billion-hack-exposed-asias-crypto-weaknesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321262/how-north-koreas-us15-billion-hack-exposed-asias-crypto-weaknesses?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Hackers are increasingly targeting Malaysia’s growing automotive sector, cybersecurity experts have warned in a new report that raises alarm over gaps in threat detection, including potential data theft via phones hooked to digital dashboards on vehicles. A key automotive manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has attracted around 26 billion ringgit (US$6.15 billion) in electric vehicle investments since 2018 from global marquee names including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Porsche,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320100/hackers-target-malaysia-ev-boom-cybersecurity-flaws-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320100/hackers-target-malaysia-ev-boom-cybersecurity-flaws-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:16:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot was forced to cancel dozens of flights on Monday after a crippling cyberattack claimed by a shadowy pro-Ukrainian hacking group, which one lawmaker called a wake-up call for Moscow. The Kremlin said the situation was worrying and prosecutors confirmed the disruption was the result of a hack and opened a criminal investigation. Senior lawmaker Anton Gorelkin said Russia was under digital attack. “We must not forget that the war against our country is being... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319882/russias-aeroflot-cancels-flights-after-massive-cyberattack-claimed-pro-ukrainian-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319882/russias-aeroflot-cancels-flights-after-massive-cyberattack-claimed-pro-ukrainian-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:45:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An app called “Tea” that lets women share “red flags” or feedback about men they have dated has confirmed that hackers have accessed some 72,000 images including user IDs. A preliminary investigation indicated hackers had accessed early on Friday a “legacy” storage system holding images uploaded by users who signed up before February of last year, a Tea spokeswoman said. Stolen pictures included some 13,000 selfies or images featuring photo identification submitted to verify Tea accounts,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319678/dating-intel-app-women-tea-suffers-massive-hack-exposing-ids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3319678/dating-intel-app-women-tea-suffers-massive-hack-exposing-ids?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 06:06:14 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong witnessed three data breaches targeting local flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, Louis Vuitton and the public postal service in the space of several days, sparking fresh concerns about cybersecurity in the city. As digital threats evolve, the Post talks to experts about what went wrong, what consumers should watch out for and how companies can tighten their security. 1. What happened? Cathay Pacific on Thursday disclosed that its Asia Miles loyalty programme had been the target of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319568/after-hong-kong-witnesses-3-data-breaches-heres-how-protect-your-private-info?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3319568/after-hong-kong-witnesses-3-data-breaches-heres-how-protect-your-private-info?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 06:45:08 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu At least 60,000 users have had their address book information compromised following a cyberattack on Hongkong Post’s online mailing portal, the postmaster has said, adding that it is seeking advice to further enhance its system’s security. Postmaster General Leonia Tai Shuk-yee could not confirm on Wednesday the exact number of individuals affected, revealing only that a hacker had accessed the address book data of 60,000 to 70,000 users of Hongkong Post’s EC-Ship platform during a cyberattack... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319231/cyberattack-hongkong-post-exposes-address-book-data-over-60000-ec-ship-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3319231/cyberattack-hongkong-post-exposes-address-book-data-over-60000-ec-ship-users?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:47:36 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Microsoft accused Chinese state-sponsored hackers of using flaws in its SharePoint document management software in a hacking campaign that has targeted businesses and government agencies around the world. In a blog post on Tuesday, the tech giant identified two groups supported by the Chinese government, Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, as leveraging flaws in SharePoint software used by customers who managed it on their own networks, as opposed to in the cloud. Another hacking group based in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3319199/chinese-hacking-groups-are-behind-sharepoint-attacks-microsoft-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3319199/chinese-hacking-groups-are-behind-sharepoint-attacks-microsoft-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 17:05:11 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has made a rare move to identify the UNC3886 cyberthreat group that it says is attacking local critical infrastructure. UNC3886 has been identified by Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant as a China-linked cyber espionage group, although Beijing’s embassy in Singapore has vehemently rejected the claim. Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said during a speech at the 10th anniversary of the Cyber Security Agency last Friday that from 2021 to last year,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319055/why-did-singapore-name-cyberthreat-group-unc3886-and-it-linked-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319055/why-did-singapore-name-cyberthreat-group-unc3886-and-it-linked-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:16:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A coordinated international operation has hit the infrastructure of a pro-Russian cybercrime network linked to a string of denial of service attacks targeting Ukraine and its allies, the European Union’s police agency Europol announced Wednesday. Code-named Eastwood, the operation targeted the so-called NoName057(16) group, which was identified last month by Dutch authorities as being behind a series of denial-of-service attacks on several municipalities and organisations linked to a Nato summit... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318509/europol-led-global-operation-takes-down-pro-russian-cybercrime-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318509/europol-led-global-operation-takes-down-pro-russian-cybercrime-network?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 02:08:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The X account of Sesame Street’s Elmo, a beloved children’s television character, shared antisemitic and anti-Donald Trump posts after being hacked, US media reported on Monday. A slew of messages calling for the extermination of Jewish people and labelling the US president a “puppet” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were shared on the account, according to the reports. Around 650,000 users follow Elmo, the fuzzy red monster who teaches his young audience about kindness and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318198/hacked-elmo-x-account-called-extermination-jews-us-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318198/hacked-elmo-x-account-called-extermination-jews-us-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 16:36:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran-linked hackers have threatened to disclose more emails stolen from US President Donald Trump’s circle, after distributing an earlier batch to the media ahead of the 2024 US election. In online chats with Reuters on Sunday and Monday, the hackers, who go by the pseudonym Robert, said they had roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from the accounts of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, Trump adviser Roger Stone and porn star-turned-Trump antagonist Stormy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316447/iran-linked-hackers-threaten-release-trump-aides-emails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316447/iran-linked-hackers-threaten-release-trump-aides-emails?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 22:51:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iranian intelligence agencies have obtained a large trove of sensitive Israeli documents, some related to the nuclear plans and facilities of Tehran’s arch enemy, Iran’s state media reported on Saturday. There was no immediate official comment from Israel and it was not clear whether the report was linked to a reported hacking of an Israeli nuclear research centre last year that Tehran is choosing to divulge now amid heightened tensions over its nuclear programme. “Although the operation to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3313519/iran-says-it-obtained-sensitive-israeli-nuclear-documents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3313519/iran-says-it-obtained-sensitive-israeli-nuclear-documents?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 16:58:46 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong Mainland Chinese authorities have accused a hacker group they allege is backed by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of orchestrating cyberattacks on up to 1,000 sensitive mainland networks, including military, energy and government systems. The claim was made public on May 20 by the Guangzhou city police, who said the group used “rudimentary and crude” methods to launch widespread attacks from overseas IP addresses, including from the United States, France and Japan. The city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311927/mainland-china-accuses-taiwan-backing-cyberattacks-1000-sensitive-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3311927/mainland-china-accuses-taiwan-backing-cyberattacks-1000-sensitive-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 04:58:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Coinbase forecast a hit of US$180 million to US$400 million from a cyberattack that breached account data of a “small subset” of its customers, the cryptocurrency exchange said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. The company received an email from an unknown threat actor on Sunday, claiming to have information about certain customer accounts as well as internal documents. While some data – including names, addresses and emails – was stolen, the hackers did not get access to login credentials or... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3310557/crypto-giant-coinbase-warns-us400-million-hit-cyberattack-refuses-pay-ransom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3310557/crypto-giant-coinbase-warns-us400-million-hit-cyberattack-refuses-pay-ransom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 02:11:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Unitree Robotics, one of China’s leading robot manufacturers, said it shut down a third-party remote control service that had exposed its Go1 robot dog to potential hacking, allowing unauthorised users to gain control of the machine and access its video cameras. The company identified a “security vulnerability” through which hackers obtained the management key for a third-party cloud tunnel service used by the Go1, the Hangzhou-based start-up said in a post on social platform X on Wednesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3309606/chinas-unitree-fixes-security-flaw-gives-hackers-remote-control-robot-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3309606/chinas-unitree-fixes-security-flaw-gives-hackers-remote-control-robot-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean cyber spies created two businesses in the US, in violation of Treasury sanctions, to infect developers working in the cryptocurrency industry with malicious software, according to cybersecurity researchers. The companies, Blocknovas and Softglide were set up in the states of New Mexico and New York using fake personas and addresses, said researchers at Silent Push, a US cybersecurity firm. A third business, Angeloper Agency, is linked to the campaign, but does not appear to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3307854/north-korean-hackers-set-fake-firms-us-target-cryptocurrency-developers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3307854/north-korean-hackers-set-fake-firms-us-target-cryptocurrency-developers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:05:00 +0000 North Korean hackers posed as K-pop promoters, horoscope services and tax officials as part of a sweeping phishing campaign that flooded South Koreans with more than 120,000 malware-laced emails and links to spoofed websites, police in Seoul have revealed. The National Police Agency said on Tuesday that 126,266 such phishing emails had been sent to 17,744 individuals between November 2024 and January this year. “In the past, these actors targeted individuals interested in North Korean affairs,”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3306747/massive-north-korean-phishing-attack-used-k-pop-and-horoscope-lures-south-korean-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3306747/massive-north-korean-phishing-attack-used-k-pop-and-horoscope-lures-south-korean-police?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:11:12 +0000 We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As US Justice Department cuts focus on foreign agents, will China cases ease? As one of her first acts in office, US President Donald Trump’s new attorney general, Pam Bondi, shut down a years-long operation to combat influence campaigns from China and other countries – an initiative... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3304712/china-hails-us-youtube-star-how-signal-furore-may-aid-spies-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3304712/china-hails-us-youtube-star-how-signal-furore-may-aid-spies-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 19:00:08 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has ruled that a group managing several international fashion brands in the city including Paul Smith and Brooks Brothers has violated the ordinance protecting customers’ data after a hack affected nearly 130,000 individuals. The breach in May last year concerned ImagineX management, a company established in 1992 and which manages more than 20 international fashion and beauty brands in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and Taiwan. “The Privacy Commissioner found that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3304575/privacy-rules-broken-data-leak-major-fashion-brands-finds-hong-kong-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3304575/privacy-rules-broken-data-leak-major-fashion-brands-finds-hong-kong-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 08:52:18 +0000 Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that hackers demanded a US$10 million ransom for a cyberattack that paralysed some operations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) over the weekend, raising concerns about the airport’s cybersecurity and potential risks to travellers’ safety. Anwar confirmed that Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), which operates the country’s airports, had been a victim of a “heavy” cyberattack, with the unnamed people behind the attack... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303835/malaysias-anwar-says-no-way-us10-million-ransom-demand-end-airport-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303835/malaysias-anwar-says-no-way-us10-million-ransom-demand-end-airport-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:35:37 +0000 A computer system meltdown that brings the planet to a grinding halt can easily be the premise for a blockbuster Hollywood film. But take a look at the world we live in today and that scenario is not so far-fetched. Hong Kong, thankfully, has yet to be hit by any serious cyberattack or system malfunction. Still, it is better to be safe than sorry. The passage of the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Ordinance, therefore, is an essential step to catching up with the rest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3303552/major-meltdown-key-computer-systems-can-bring-catastrophe-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3303552/major-meltdown-key-computer-systems-can-bring-catastrophe-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:15:11 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk North Korea is believed to hold the world’s third-largest reserve of government-owned bitcoin, following a US$1.5 billion cryptocurrency heist linked to state-backed hackers. According to cryptocurrency portal Bitcoin.com, North Korea’s government now owns 13,562 bitcoin, valued at around US$1.14 billion, based on data from crypto-security firm Arkham Intelligence. That means it trails only the United States, which held 198,109 coins as of January, and Britain with 61,245 coins, according to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3302798/north-korea-rolling-bitcoin-only-us-and-uk-have-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3302798/north-korea-rolling-bitcoin-only-us-and-uk-have-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 05:35:04 +0000 In a world where wars are no longer fought on battlefields alone, the Philippines is confronting an invisible but no less dangerous threat. Amid a marked growth in cyberattacks that officials blame on Beijing, observers warn the Southeast Asian nation is running out of time to shore up its digital defences. The most recent wave of cyber threats targeted the Philippines’ military and government agencies. In February, the Philippine military confirmed that it had detected attempts to breach its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302451/lip-service-philippines-cyber-defences-lag-amid-chinese-attack-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302451/lip-service-philippines-cyber-defences-lag-amid-chinese-attack-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Beijing was orchestrating a “hacker for hire” ecosystem – involving contract hackers, Chinese tech company employees and government officials – to carry out cyberattacks aimed at stealing data from organisations and governments worldwide, according to a senior US Justice Department official. In a major effort to combat these cyber activities, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment on Wednesday of 12 Chinese nationals, including two officials from China’s Ministry of Public... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301215/us-says-china-operating-hacker-hire-network-available-cyberattacks-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3301215/us-says-china-operating-hacker-hire-network-available-cyberattacks-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:19:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that North Korea was responsible for the theft of around US$1.5 billion in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange ByBit. The agency said it refers to this specific North Korean malicious cyber activity as “TraderTraitor”. “TraderTraitor actors are proceeding rapidly and have converted some of the stolen assets to bitcoin and other virtual assets dispersed across thousands of addresses on multiple blockchains,” it said in a public service... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3300298/fbi-says-north-korea-stole-us15-billion-crypto-exchange-bybit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3300298/fbi-says-north-korea-stole-us15-billion-crypto-exchange-bybit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 01:03:19 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Bitcoin tumbled below US$90,000 to hit the lowest level since mid-November, as the rally that followed Donald Trump’s election to the White House reverses amid a broader retreat from risky assets. Bitcoin dropped as much as 8.5 per cent, the biggest intraday declined since August. The largest cryptocurrency by market value was down 7.6 per cent to US$86,805 at 11.20am in New York on Tuesday. Other cryptocurrencies also fell, with ether, XRP and solana mostly down more for the session. An index... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3300135/bitcoin-falls-below-us90000-trump-bump-cryptocurrencies-loses-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3300135/bitcoin-falls-below-us90000-trump-bump-cryptocurrencies-loses-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2025 02:01:46 +0000 A surge in online threats against the Philippines has amplified fears of a “cyber cold war” among security analysts, following Communications Minister Ivan Uy’s warning that “World War III is happening” in the digital realm. “World War III is happening and it is cyber,” Uy told Reuters in a recent interview, adding that the weapons used in this type of warfare were non-kinetic. “They are cyber, digital, virtual, but it’s happening, but the attacks and defences are happening as we speak, without... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3299488/philippines-fears-cyber-cold-war-amid-surge-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3299488/philippines-fears-cyber-cold-war-amid-surge-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:08:35 +0000 A massive cyberattack targeting China’s AI start-up DeepSeek originated in the US, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The cyberattack on DeepSeek started on January 3 and reached a peak on Monday and Tuesday with a massive brute-force attack from US IP addresses, Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with CCTV, said on Wednesday. DeepSeek last week launched a free and open-sourced AI assistant that claimed to use less data at a fraction of the cost of existing US artificial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3296765/cyberattack-deepseek-including-brute-force-assault-started-us-chinese-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3296765/cyberattack-deepseek-including-brute-force-assault-started-us-chinese-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:09:13 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li The local arm of international charity Oxfam violated the data protection law following a leak in July that potentially affected 550,000 people, Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog ruled in an investigation report on Thursday. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data also revealed there had been a nearly 30 per cent year-on-year increase in breach notifications in 2024. It said the number of doxxing cases fell 42 per cent year on year. “The privacy commissioner considered that Oxfam had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3295957/oxfam-hong-kong-data-leak-watchdog-rules-charity-violated-privacy-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3295957/oxfam-hong-kong-data-leak-watchdog-rules-charity-violated-privacy-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:25:00 +0000 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s computer was infiltrated and unclassified files were accessed as part of a broader breach of the agency by Chinese state-sponsored hackers, according to two people familiar with the matter. The attackers also hacked the computers of two of Yellen’s lieutenants, Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Acting Under Secretary Brad Smith, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information. Fewer than 50 files on Yellen’s machine... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295105/chinese-hackers-accessed-janet-yellens-computer-us-treasury-breach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295105/chinese-hackers-accessed-janet-yellens-computer-us-treasury-breach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:55:41 +0000 National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said China would face severe consequences if it launches a cyberattack that causes physical destruction in the US, and deterring such a move should be a priority for the incoming Trump administration. Sullivan said the US has evidence that China is pre-positioning for just such an attack at some point in the future, underscoring past concerns from US officials. He spoke in an interview at the Bloomberg News bureau in Washington on Monday. “We’ve sent a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294610/jake-sullivan-urges-trump-team-focus-china-cyber-threats-warns-consequences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3294610/jake-sullivan-urges-trump-team-focus-china-cyber-threats-warns-consequences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:29:58 +0000 The Biden administration is racing to put out an executive order meant to shore up US cybersecurity in its dwindling days in office, according to four people familiar with the matter. The executive order, which has cleared some internal hurdles and is close to being published, incorporates lessons from a series of major breaches during the Biden administration, including the most recent US Treasury Department hack attributed to China, according people familiar with the matter who did not want to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293983/white-house-rushes-finish-cybersecurity-order-after-china-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293983/white-house-rushes-finish-cybersecurity-order-after-china-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 23:22:21 +0000 The US cyber watchdog agency CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) said on Monday there was “no indication” the recently reported breach at the US Treasury Department had affected any other federal agency. Late last month the US Treasury reported that an unspecified number of computers had been compromised by Chinese hackers following a breach at contractor BeyondTrust, which provides cybersecurity services. BeyondTrust said last month that a limited number of clients were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293661/no-indication-treasury-breach-affected-other-federal-agencies-us-cyber-watchdog-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3293661/no-indication-treasury-breach-affected-other-federal-agencies-us-cyber-watchdog-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:00:09 +0000 The US has imposed sanctions on a Beijing-based cybersecurity company for its alleged role in Chinese government-sponsored hacks against critical US infrastructure. Integrity Technology Group, known as Integrity Tech, was accused of playing a role in “multiple computer intrusion incidents against US victims”, the Treasury Department said on Friday. In a statement, it said the incidents had been publicly linked to a Chinese-sponsored hacking group nicknamed Flax Typhoon, which the Treasury said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3293389/us-sanctions-chinese-cybersecurity-firm-alleged-role-beijing-sponsored-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3293389/us-sanctions-chinese-cybersecurity-firm-alleged-role-beijing-sponsored-hacks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 19:53:16 +0000 China has denied it was behind a cyber breach at the US Treasury Department, saying the allegations are “groundless”. The US Treasury Department was hacked through a third-party software service provider by a Chinese state-sponsored actor, according to a letter the agency sent to Congress on Monday. The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing “has always opposed all forms of hacker attacks, and we are even more opposed to the spread of false information against China for political purposes”. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3292817/us-treasury-says-it-was-hacked-chinese-state-sponsored-actor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3292817/us-treasury-says-it-was-hacked-chinese-state-sponsored-actor?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:56:30 +0000