TOPIC

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity
From black hat hackers attempting to break into government computer systems, to white hat security experts working to crack and improve protections on popular internet browsers, cybersecurity affects us all. Every day hackers steal millions of pieces of personal data and, as former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed, sometimes it may be our own governments doing the snooping.
A CIA official said China was the agency’s foremost intelligence priority in a “truly generational competition” between the US and China. Photo illustration: Reuters
US-China relations

New CIA videos seek to lure Chinese officials to leak secrets to US

The US spy agency is confident the clips are penetrating the ‘Great Firewall’ and reaching their intended audience.

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TikTok

TikTok confirms plans to build €1 billion data centre in Finland

Artificial intelligence

Relying on AI carries risks, security expert warns amid China’s DeepSeek craze

North Korea

North Korean hackers set up fake US firms to target cryptocurrency developers

Blocknovas and Softglide used malware to access cryptocurrency wallets, passwords and credentials, cybersecurity researchers say.

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North Korean hackers have managed to register businesses in the US. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

China-backed actors ‘stand out’ in threatening US infrastructure, panel hears

Beijing said to plot long-term strategy to incapacitate America’s power grid to ‘create options’ for mainland authorities and ‘sow chaos’.

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Donald Trump

Trump to be interviewed by Atlantic editor who exposed ‘Signalgate’ chat

Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a group chat in which top US officials shared secret military strike plans.

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Science

China cracks quantum code barrier. For how long will our data be safe?

By setting a new benchmark in quantum cryptology, Chinese researchers may have found new path for encryption research.

Chinese researchers have set a new benchmark for applying quantum computing to cryptography, and introduced a potential new encryption methodology. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Concerted effort will be required to fight scamming scourge in Hong Kong

Offences, often involving international gangs, are difficult to combat and Hong Kong must ensure it remains one of the world’s safest cities.

United States

Pentagon faces ‘meltdown’ as Trump backs Hegseth amid second Signal chat storm

Defence Secretary’s ex-spokesman says there is a ‘meltdown’ at Pentagon over staff drama, leaks as Hegseth faces scrutiny over Signal chats.

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South Korea

‘The law didn’t protect me’: South Korea’s losing battle against AI sex crimes

Victims lament a lack of police help to resolve their cases, while sex educators call for a change in gender attitudes to tackle the scourge.

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Activists wearing masks protest against deepfake porn in Seoul last year. The poster reads: “Repeated deepfake sex crimes, the state is an accomplice too”. Photo: AFP
Crime in Hong Kong

E-commerce head urges scam arbitration for safer online shopping in Hong Kong

Consumers more at risk when using bank accounts for online transactions rather than third-party processors such as PayPal or credit cards.

The amount of money lost by Hongkongers in online shopping scams increased by 87 per cent to HK$356 million last year. Photo: SCMP
Science

Nianli Ma, wife of cyber expert Xiaofeng Wang, speaks out over FBI raids

Ma says lack of due process by Indiana University is devastating after she and Wang were dismissed within days of each other.

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Hong Kong society

SF Express Hong Kong stops sending parcel delivery SMS texts to combat scams

Company will only notify customers with self-pickup parcels via its mobile app ‘SFHK’ starting on Monday.

Banking & finance

Hong Kong to unveil 3 e-banking security measures to combat financial fraud

The HKMA’s ‘E-Banking Security ABC’ measures will enhance online banking security, deputy chief executive Arthur Yuen says.

The HKMA has stepped up its vigilance against online banking fraud. Last year, the city’s residents lost HK$9.15 billion to scamsters. Photo: Jelly Tse
South Korea

In South Korea, digital sex crimes soar amid rise in AI, deepfake technology

Support centre for victims notes disturbing trend of young people using AI-generated deepfake images for entertainment.

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An activist holds an eye mask during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul in August 2024. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Ex-Facebook exec tells lawmakers that Meta briefed China on US AI efforts

‘Careless People’ author Sarah Wynn-Williams accuses the company of betraying American values to win Beijing’s favour and grow its business.

India

In India, cyber scams targeting elderly fuel digital safety concerns

One 82-year-old victim lost nearly US$400,000 after fraudsters convinced him of their credentials by fabricating Supreme Court letters.

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Hong Kong science and tech

Less than 30% of Hong Kong organisations have AI guidelines for staff: watchdog

Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung also says further amendments to Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance being considered to curb information leakage risks.

Hong Kong’s privacy commissioner has said the use of generative AI tools in the workplace is becoming increasingly prevalent. Photo: Eugene Lee
United States

Pentagon watchdog to probe use of Signal for Yemen attack plans

Inspector General’s office looking into Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of app to discuss air strikes against Houthis.

US-China relations

US-China decoupling: Washington bans diplomats from romance and sex with Chinese

Those who do not receive exemption and are found violating the ban will be subject to immediate expulsion from China, according to report.

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Science

Exclusive | US cyber expert Wang Xiaofeng ‘is safe’ after FBI raids, source says

Unverified statement circulating among Wang’s colleagues says case linked to research grant in China from about seven years ago.

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Wang Xiaofeng was a tenured professor at Indiana University Bloomington. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

US YouTube star in China, Beijing ‘hackers for hire’: 7 US-China relations reads

From IShowSpeed’s Great Wall adventures to espionage fears, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in March 2024.

YouTube star Darren Jason Watkins Jnr, aka IShowSpeed, is seen streaming live from the Great Wall of China during his visit to Beijing in March 2025. Photo: Youtube/IShowSpeed
Science

US cyber expert Wang Xiaofeng took Singapore job before raids: university letter

University staff protest decision to ‘summarily terminate’ Wang: ‘Silence fuels suspicion and distrust and makes shared governance harder’.

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Artificial intelligence

OpenAI to build open AI model amid competition from Meta and DeepSeek

Announcement marks a strategic shift by OpenAI, which until now has been a fierce defender of closed, proprietary models.

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US-China relations

As extension winds down for TikTok sale, analysts say deadline may not matter

US President Donald Trump might ignore the law Congress passed and use the app as a bargaining chip in trade talks with Beijing.

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The fate of TikTok in the US remains uncertain, with President Donald Trump apparently using it for leverage in trade negotiations with China. Image: Shutterstock
Science

FBI raids on Chinese-American scientist revives China Initiative fears

Two Indiana homes of cybersecurity researcher and professor raided by FBI and Homeland Security but no reason cited, local media report.

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Wang Xiaofeng, who was named a distinguished member by the Association for Computing Machinery in 2021, joined Indiana University Bloomington as an assistant professor in 2004 after receiving his PhD in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Photo: Handout
Crime in Hong Kong

Privacy rules broken in data leak of major fashion brands: Hong Kong watchdog

Data of 130,000 people including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth months, sex and nationalities exposed in breach.

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Freezing of accounts to tackle cybercrime welcome if done right

Any new laws to fight fraud must be balanced and appropriate to avoid upsetting the city’s reputation for ease and efficiency in handling international transactions.

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