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Cybersecurity
TechPolicy

Hackers target Chinese government agencies, diplomatic missions and WHO amid pandemic

  • More than 200 VPN servers have been compromised in a massive campaign by hackers, according to a report by leading Chinese internet provider Qihoo 360
  • The report attributed the attacks to advanced hacker group DarkHotel

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The Beijing-based cybersecurity company attributed the attacks to DarkHotel, a group of elite hackers which has been conducting cyber-espionage operations since at least 2007. File photo: Reuters
Sarah DaiandTracy Qu
Chinese agencies and diplomatic missions have been targeted by hackers through their virtual private network (VPN) servers in a coordinated cyber espionage campaign, at a time when many governments and global organisations are more vulnerable than ever to security breaches due to remote working arrangements amid the pandemic, according to a report by a leading Chinese cybersecurity provider.

Both domestic Chinese agencies and diplomatic missions in countries including Italy, the UK, North Korea and Thailand have been attacked, according to a report by Qihoo 360. It speculated in the report that the East Asia-based DarkHotel hacking group attacked Chinese agencies for reasons linked to the pandemic.

The group is also suspected to be behind recent cyberattacks against the World Health Organisation (WHO), as officials and cybersecurity experts warn that hackers of all stripes are seeking to capitalise on international concern over the spread of the coronavirus, according to a Reuters report.
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“Since March this year, more than 200 VPN servers have been compromised and many Chinese institutions abroad were under attack. In early April, the attack spread to government agencies in Beijing and Shanghai,” said the report by Qihoo 360, China’s largest antivirus vendor.

The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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“The Chinese government has been resolutely cracking down on any form of cyber attacks and will step up measures to protect its cyber security,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also called for more international cooperation to protect cyber security.

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