Cyberwarfare by China

Cyberattacks attributed to China

Cyberwarfare by China is the aggregate of cyberattacks attributed to the organs of the People's Republic of China and various related advanced persistent threat (APT) groups.

## Background

[edit]

These paragraphs are an excerpt from Cyberwarfare.[edit]

Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems.[1] Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic warfare.

There is significant debate among experts regarding the definition of cyberwarfare, and even if such a thing exists.[2] One view is that the term is a misnomer since no cyber attacks to date could be described as a war.[3] An alternative view is that it is a suitable label for cyber attacks which cause physical damage to people and objects in the real world.[4]

Many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Israel, Iran, and North Korea,[5][6][7][8] have active cyber capabilities for offensive and defensive operations. As states explore the use of cyber operations and combine capabilities, the likelihood of physical confrontation and violence playing out as a result of, or part of, a cyber operation is increased. However, meeting the scale and protracted nature of war is unlikely, thus ambiguity remains.[9]

## Organization

[edit]

While some details remain unconfirmed, it is understood that China organizes its resources as follows:

* “Specialized military network warfare forces” (Chinese: 军队专业网络战力量) - Military units specialized in network attack and defense.
* "PLA-authorized forces” (授权力量) - network warfare specialists in the Ministry of State Security (MSS) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
* “Non-governmental forces” (民间力量) - civilian and semi-civilian[definition needed] groups that spontaneously engage in network attack and defense.[10]

In response to claims that Chinese universities, businesses, and politicians have been subject to cyber espionage by the United States National Security Agency since 2009,[11][12] the PLA announced a cyber security squad in May 2011 to defend their own networks.[13]

Since Xi Jinping became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, the Ministry of State Security (MSS) gained more responsibility over cyberespionage compared with the People's Liberation Army, and currently oversees various advanced persistent threats.[14] According to security researcher Timo Steffens, advanced persistent threat (APT) groups in China leverage skills from private as well as public institutions and individuals, including smaller companies and hackers that take on government contracts.[15]

In 2017, Foreign Policy estimated China's "hacker army" personnel at between 50,000 and 100,000 individuals.[16]

### List of related APTs

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Advanced persistent threat § China.[edit]

* PLA Unit 61398 (also known as APT1)
* PLA Unit 61486 (also known as APT2)
* Buckeye (also known as APT3)[17]
* Red Apollo (also known as APT10)
* Numbered Panda (also known as APT12)
* DeputyDog (also known as APT17)[18]
* Dynamite Panda or Scandium (also known as APT18, a unit of the People's Liberation Army Navy)[19]
* Codoso Team (also known as APT19)
* Wocao (also known as APT20)[20][21]
* APT22 (aka Suckfly)[22]
* APT26 (aka Turbine Panda)[23]
* APT 27[24]
* PLA Unit 78020 (also known as APT30 and Naikon)
* Zirconium[25] (also known as APT31 and Violet Typhoon)[26][27][28]
* APT40
* Double Dragon[29] (also known as APT41, Winnti Group, Barium, or Axiom)[30][31]
* Spamouflage (also known as Dragonbridge or Storm 1376)[32][33]
* Hafnium[34][35]
* LightBasin[36][37] (Also known as UNC1945)
* Tropic Trooper[38]
* Volt Typhoon[39]
* Flax Typhoon[40]
* Charcoal Typhoon (also known as CHROMIUM)[41][42]
* Salmon Typhoon (also known as SODIUM)[41][42]
* Salt Typhoon (also known as GhostEmperor or FamousSparrow)[43][44]
* Liminal Panda[45]
* MirrorFace[46]

## Accusations of espionage and cyber-attacks

[edit]

See also: Chinese intelligence activity abroad, Allegations of intellectual property theft by China, and Chinese information operations and information warfare

### Australia

[edit]

In May 2013, ABC News claimed that the Chinese government stole blueprints to the headquarters of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).[47] In May 2023, Australia, alongside other Five Eyes member states, identified the Chinese government behind the "Volt Typhoon" advanced persistent threat targeting critical infrastructure.[48] In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including the Australian Signals Directorate, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### Canada

[edit]

Further information: 2011 Canadian government hackings and Chinese government interference in Canada

Officials in the Canadian government claimed that Chinese hackers compromised several departments within the federal government in early 2011, though the Chinese government has denied involvement.[51] In 2014, Canada's Chief Information Officer claimed that Chinese hackers compromised computer systems within the National Research Council.[52] In May 2023, Canada's Communications Security Establishment identified the Chinese government as being behind the "Volt Typhoon" advanced persistent threat targeting critical infrastructure.[53] In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### Germany

[edit]

In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including Germany's Federal Intelligence Service and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### India

[edit]

Officials in the Indian government believe that attacks on Indian government networks, such as the attack on the Indian National Security Council, have originated from China. According to the Indian government, Chinese hackers are experts in operating botnets, which were used in these attacks.[54] Additionally, other instances of Chinese cyberattacks against India's cyberspace have been reported in multitude.[55][56]

### Japan

[edit]

In April 2021, Japan claimed that the Chinese military ordered cyberattacks on about 200 Japanese companies and research institutes, including JAXA.[57] In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including Japan's National Police Agency, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### The Netherlands

[edit]

In 2024, the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service and the General Intelligence and Security Service stated that Chinese state hackers penetrated a Dutch military network the prior year.[58]

### New Zealand

[edit]

See also: Foreign espionage in New Zealand § China

In May 2023, New Zealand, alongside other Five Eyes member states, named the Chinese government as being behind the "Volt Typhoon" advanced persistent threat targeting critical infrastructure.[59] In March 2024, the Government Communications Security Bureau and New Zealand Government accused the Chinese government via APT40 of breaching its parliamentary network in 2021.[60] In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### South Korea

[edit]

In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including South Korea's National Intelligence Service, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### United States

[edit]

See also: Chinese espionage in the United States, Operation Aurora, Titan Rain, and Beijing–Washington cyber hotline

The United States has accused China of cyberwarfare attacks that targeted the networks of important American military, commercial, research, and industrial organizations. A Congressional advisory group has declared China "the single greatest risk to the security of American technologies"[61] and "there has been a marked increase in cyber intrusions originating in China and targeting U.S. government and defense-related computer systems".[61][62][63][64] China's cyberwarfare has expanded from cyber-espionage to "pre-positioning" activity for the sabotage and crippling of critical infrastructure.[65]

In January 2010, Google reported targeted attacks on its corporate infrastructure originating from China "that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google." Gmail accounts belonging to two human rights activists were compromised in an attack on Google's password system.[66] Chinese hackers also gained access to a database containing classified information about suspected spies, agents, and terrorists under surveillance by the US government.[67] American security experts connected the Google attack to various other political and corporate espionage efforts originating from China, which included spying against military, commercial, research, and industrial corporations.[64] Obama administration officials called the cyberattacks "an increasingly serious cyber threat to US critical industries."[62]

In addition to Google, at least 34 other companies have been attacked. Reported cases include Northrop Grumman, Symantec, Yahoo, Dow Chemical, and Adobe Systems.[68] Cyber-espionage has been aimed at both commercial and military interests.[69]

Diplomatic cables highlight US concerns that China is exploiting its access to Microsoft source code to boost its offensive and defensive capabilities.[70]

A number of private computer security firms have stated that they have growing evidence of cyber-espionage efforts originating from China, including the "Comment Group".[71]

China has denied accusations of cyberwarfare,[72] and has accused the United States of engaging in cyber-warfare against it, accusations which the United States denies.[73][74][75][76][77]

In 2011, a Chinese state TV program displayed outdated screenshots of a Chinese military institute performing cyber attacks on a US-based dissident entity.[78] The direct visual evidence from an official Chinese source challenges China's claims that it never engages in overseas hacking for government purposes.[78]

During March 2013, high-level discussions continued.[79]

In May 2014, a federal grand jury in the United States indicted five PLA Unit 61398 officers on charges of theft of confidential business information from U.S. commercial firms and planting malware on their computers.[80][81]

In September 2014, a Senate Armed Services Committee probe revealed hackers associated with the Chinese government committing various intrusions of computer systems belonging to U.S. airlines, technology companies and other contractors involved with the movement of U.S. troops and military equipment,[82] and in October 2014, The FBI added that hackers, who they believe to be backed by the Chinese government, have recently launched attacks on U.S. companies.[83]

In 2015, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that it had been the target of a data breach targeting the records of as many as 21.5 million people.[84] The Washington Post reported that the attack came from China, citing unnamed government officials.[85] FBI director James Comey explained "it is a very big deal from a national security perspective and a counterintelligence perspective. It's a treasure trove of information about everybody who has worked for, tried to work for, or works for the United States government."[86]

In October 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek published a report, citing unnamed corporate and governmental sources, which claimed that the PLA had forced Supermicro's Chinese sub-contractors to add microchips with hardware backdoors to its servers. The report claimed that the compromised servers had been sold to U.S. government divisions (including the CIA and Department of Defense) and contractors and at least 30 commercial clients.[87]

In 2019, a study showed continued attacks on the US Navy and its industrial partners.[88]

In February 2020, a US federal grand jury charged four members of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) with the 2017 Equifax hack.[89] The official account of FBI stated on Twitter that they played a role in "one of the largest thefts of personally identifiable information by state-sponsored hackers ever recorded".[90]

The Voice of America reported in April 2020 that "U.S. intelligence agencies concluded the Chinese hackers meddled in both the 2016 and 2018 elections" and said "there have already been signs that China-allied hackers have engaged in so-called "spear-phishing" attacks on American political targets" ahead of the 2020 United States elections.[91]

In March 2021, United States intelligence community released analysis in finding that China had considered interfering with the election but decided against it on concerns it would fail or backfire.[92]

In April 2021, FireEye said that suspected Chinese hackers used a zero-day attack against Pulse Connect Secure devices, a VPN device, in order to spy on dozens of government, defense industry and financial targets in the U.S. and Europe.[93][94][95][96]

In May 2023, Microsoft and Western intelligence agencies reported that a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group affiliated with the PLA called "Volt Typhoon" had targeted critical infrastructure and military installations in Guam, Hawaii, Texas and elsewhere.[97][98][99] In January 2024, US authorities stated that they disrupted an operation by Volt Typhoon that had access to critical infrastructure in the US for at least five years.[100][101]

In February 2024, OpenAI announced that it had shut down accounts used by the Charcoal Typhoon and Salmon Typhoon hacking groups. The groups had been using their services to research companies, intelligence agencies, cybersecurity tools and evasion techniques, translate technical papers, write and refactor code, and create phishing campaign content.[102][103] The same month, leaked documents from an MSS, PLA, and MPS contractor based in Shanghai called I-Soon, also known as Auxun, provided details into a campaign to harass dissidents, activists, critical academics, and Uyghurs overseas.[104][105][106]

In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including the National Security Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50] In September 2024, FBI director Christopher A. Wray announced that Chinese state hacking campaign known as Flax Typhoon, which targeted critical infrastructure, had been disrupted.[107][108]

In October 2024, backdoors mandated by the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which forces internet providers to provide backdoors for government authorities,[109][110] were found to have been employed by China to tap communications in the U.S. using that infrastructure for months, or perhaps longer;[111] China recorded presidential candidate campaign office phone calls —including employees of the then-vice president of the nation– and of the candidates themselves.[112]

In November 2024, Texas governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to harden critical infrastructure from cyberattacks from threats emanating from the PRC.[113] In December 2024, the U.S. moved to crack down on China Telecom's cloud operations in the U.S. in response to the 2024 United States telecommunications hack.[114] The same month, Chinese state-backed hackers were accused of obtaining a security key and accessing unclassified documents of the United States Department of the Treasury.[115][116] In December 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Integrity Technology Group, an organization believed to be behind the Flax Typhoon APT.[117][118]

In January 2025, the computers of the US Secretary of the Treasury and several of her lieutenants were accessed by Chinese hackers.[119]

### Taiwan

[edit]

Comparing the semiconductor industry in China mainland and Taiwan today, Taiwan is the leader in terms of overall competitiveness. On 6 August 2020, Wired published a report, stating that "Taiwan has faced existential conflict with China for its entire existence and has been targeted by China's state-sponsored hackers for years. But an investigation by one Taiwanese security firm has revealed just how deeply a single group of Chinese hackers was able to penetrate an industry at the core of the Taiwanese economy, pillaging practically its entire semiconductor industry."[120]

### Ukraine

[edit]

In April 2022, The Times reported that days prior to the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a cyberwarfare unit of the People's Liberation Army launched cyberattacks against hundreds of Ukrainian government sites, according to officials of the Security Service of Ukraine.[121][122]

### United Kingdom

[edit]

In May 2023, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, alongside other Five Eyes member states, identified the Chinese government behind the "Volt Typhoon" advanced persistent threat targeting critical infrastructure.[48][123]

In March 2024, the UK government and the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) jointly sanctioned a Chinese MSS front company called Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology and affiliated individuals for breaching the Electoral Commission and placing malware in critical infrastructure.[124][125]

In July 2024, government agencies from eight nations, including the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, released a joint advisory on APT40.[49][50]

### The Vatican

[edit]

Further information: China–Holy See relations

In July 2020, it was reported that Chinese state-sponsored hackers operating under the named RedDelta hacked the Vatican's computer network ahead of negotiations between China and the Vatican.[126]

## IP hijacking

[edit]

During 18 minutes on April 8, 2010, state-owned China Telecom advertised erroneous network routes that instructed "massive volumes" of U.S. and other foreign Internet traffic to go through Chinese servers. A US Defense Department spokesman told reporters that he did not know if "we've determined whether that particular incident ... was done with some malicious intent or not" and China Telecom denied the charge that it "hijacked" U.S. Internet traffic.[127]

## See also

[edit]

* Chinese intelligence activity abroad
* Chinese information operations and information warfare
* Cyberwarfare by Russia
* GhostNet
* Google China
* Great Cannon
* Honker Union
* List of cyber warfare forces#China
* Operation Shady RAT
* People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force
* Red Apollo
* 2021 Microsoft Exchange Cyberattack
* 2024 United States Department of the Treasury hack

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Singer, P. W.; Friedman, Allan (March 2014). Cybersecurity and cyberwar: what everyone needs to know. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-991809-6. OCLC 802324804.
2. ^ "Cyberwar – does it exist?". NATO. June 13, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
3. ^ Smith, Troy E. (2013). "Cyber Warfare: A Misrepresentation of the True Cyber Threat". American Intelligence Journal. 31 (1): 82–85\. ISSN 0883-072X. JSTOR 26202046.82-85&rft.date=2013&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26202046#id-name=JSTOR&rft.issn=0883-072X&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=Troy+E.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Cyberwarfare+by+China" class="Z3988">
4. ^ Lucas, George (2017). Ethics and Cyber Warfare: The Quest for Responsible Security in the Age of Digital Warfare. Oxford University Press. p. 6\. ISBN 978-0-19-027652-2.
5. ^ "Advanced Persistent Threat Groups". FireEye. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
6. ^ "APT trends report Q1 2019". securelist.com. April 30, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
7. ^ "GCHQ". www.gchq.gov.uk. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
8. ^ "Who are the cyberwar superpowers?". World Economic Forum. May 4, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
9. ^ Green, James A., ed. (November 7, 2016). Cyber warfare: a multidisciplinary analysis. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-78707-9. OCLC 980939904.
10. ^ Beijing, Simon Elegant (November 18, 2009). "Cyberwarfare: The Issue China Won't Touch". Time. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
11. ^ Chan, Kelvin (June 13, 2013). "Leaker Snowden alleges NSA hacking on China, world". Phys.org. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
12. ^ "Snowden says U.S. hacking targets China; NSA points to thwarted attacks". The Japan Times. June 14, 2013. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
13. ^ Beech, Hannah (May 27, 2011). "Meet China's Newest Soldiers: An Online Blue Army". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
14. ^ Mozur, Paul; Buckley, Chris (August 26, 2021). "Spies for Hire: China's New Breed of Hackers Blends Espionage and Entrepreneurship". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
15. ^ Stone, Jeff (October 5, 2020). "Foreign spies use front companies to disguise their hacking, borrowing an old camouflage tactic". cyberscoop.com. Cyberscoop. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2020. "In China not all of these companies are 'front companies' in the strict sense that they were established by intelligence agencies to hide their involvement. The APT landscape in China is run in a 'whole country' approach, leveraging skills from universities, individual, and private and public sectors. So some of the smaller companies might just be a way for individual hackers to band together and be eligible for government contracts."
16. ^ Hvistendahl, Mara (October 7, 2024). "China's Hacker Army". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
17. ^ "Buckeye: Espionage Outfit Used Equation Group Tools Prior to Shadow Brokers Leak". Symantec. May 7, 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
18. ^ "APT17: Hiding in Plain Sight - FireEye and Microsoft Expose Obfuscation Tactic" (PDF). FireEye. May 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
19. ^ "China-Based Threat Actors" (PDF). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Information Security. August 16, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
20. ^ van Dantzig, Maarten; Schamper, Erik (December 19, 2019). "Wocao APT20" (PDF). fox-it.com. NCC Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
21. ^ Vijayan, Jai (December 19, 2019). "China-Based Cyber Espionage Group Targeting Orgs in 10 Countries". www.darkreading.com. Dark Reading. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
22. ^ Barth, Bradley (March 16, 2016). "'Suckfly' in the ointment: Chinese APT group steals code-signing certificates". SC Media. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
23. ^ "Building China's Comac C919 airplane involved a lot of hacking, report says". ZDNET. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
24. ^ Lyngaas, Sean (August 10, 2021). "Chinese hackers posed as Iranians to breach Israeli targets, FireEye says". www.cyberscoop.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
25. ^ Lyngaas, Sean (February 12, 2019). "Right country, wrong group? Researchers say it wasn't APT10 that hacked Norwegian software firm". www.cyberscoop.com. Cyberscoop. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
26. ^ Lyngaas, Sean (October 16, 2020). "Google offers details on Chinese hacking group that targeted Biden campaign". Cyberscoop. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
27. ^ "How Microsoft names threat actors". Microsoft. January 16, 2024. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
28. ^ "Treasury Sanctions China-Linked Hackers for Targeting U.S. Critical Infrastructure". U.S. Department of the Treasury. March 19, 2024. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
29. ^ "Double Dragon APT41, a dual espionage and cyber crime operation". FireEye. October 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
30. ^ "Bureau names ransomware culprits". Taipei Times. May 17, 2020. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
31. ^ Greenberg, Andy (August 6, 2020). "Chinese Hackers Have Pillaged Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
32. ^ Sabin, Sam (October 26, 2022). "New pro-China disinformation campaign targets 2022 elections: Report". Axios. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
33. ^ Milmo, Dan (April 5, 2024). "China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
34. ^ Naraine, Ryan (March 2, 2021). "Microsoft: Multiple Exchange Server Zero-Days Under Attack by Chinese Hacking Group". securityweek.com. Wired Business Media. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
35. ^ Burt, Tom (March 2, 2021). "New nation-state cyberattacks". blogs.microsoft.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
36. ^ Nichols, Shaun (October 20, 2021). "'LightBasin' hackers spent 5 years hiding on telco networks". TechTarget. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
37. ^ Ilascu, Ionut (October 19, 2021). "LightBasin hacking group breaches 13 global telecoms in two years". Bleeping Computer. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
38. ^ Cimpanu, Catalin. "Hackers target the air-gapped networks of the Taiwanese and Philippine military". ZDnet. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
39. ^ Intelligence, Microsoft Threat (May 24, 2023). "Volt Typhoon targets US critical infrastructure with living-off-the-land techniques". Microsoft Security Blog. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
40. ^ Tucker, Eric (September 18, 2024). "FBI disrupts Chinese cyber operation targeting critical infrastructure in the US". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
41. ^ a b "Disrupting malicious uses of AI by state-affiliated threat actors". February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
42. ^ a b "Staying ahead of threat actors in the age of AI". Microsoft. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
43. ^ Krouse, Sarah; McMillan, Robert; Volz, Dustin (September 25, 2024). "China-Linked Hackers Breach U.S. Internet Providers in New 'Salt Typhoon' Cyberattack". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
44. ^ Krouse, Sarah; Volz, Dustin; Viswanatha, Aruna; McMillan, Robert (October 5, 2024). "U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
45. ^ Sabin, Sam (November 19, 2024). "New China-linked telco attackers". Axios. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
46. ^ Yamaguchi, Mari (January 8, 2025). "Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security and tech data". Associated Press. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
47. ^ "George Brandis briefed by ASIO on claims China stole classified blueprints of Canberra headquarters". ABC News. May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
48. ^ a b Evans, Jake (May 24, 2023). "Australia joins intelligence partners to blame China for US infrastructure cyber attack". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
49. ^ a b c d e f g h Cherney, Mike (July 9, 2024). "U.S., Allies Issue Rare Warning on Chinese Hacking Group". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
50. ^ a b c d e f g h "Australia accuses China of cyber espionage". Voice of America. July 10, 2024. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
51. ^ "Foreign hackers attack Canadian government". CBC News. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
52. ^ "Chinese cyberattack hits Canada's National Research Council". CBC News. July 29, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
53. ^ Boynton, Sean (May 24, 2023). "A Chinese cyber espionage operation is hitting U.S. infrastructure, West warns". Global News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
54. ^ "China mounts cyber attacks on Indian sites". The Times of India. India. May 5, 2008. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
55. ^ "'നിശബ്ദ യുദ്ധ'ത്തിന് പിന്നിൽ ചൈന; ടാർഗറ്റ് ഇന്ത്യയും അമേരിക്കയും". ManoramaOnline. Archived from the original on June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
56. ^ Rising, David (April 7, 2022). "Chinese hackers reportedly target India's power grid". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
57. ^ "Chinese military seen behind Japan cyberattacks". The Japan Times. April 20, 2021. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
58. ^ "Chinese spies hacked Dutch defence network last year - intelligence agencies". Reuters. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
59. ^ Ensor, Jamie (May 25, 2023). "New Zealand, Five Eyes issue alert warning of China state actor engaging in 'malicious cyber activity'". Newshub. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
60. ^ Pearse, Adam (March 26, 2024). "Parliament systems targeted by China-based hackers". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
61. ^ a b Claburn, Thomas. "China Cyber Espionage Threatens U.S., Report Says". InformationWeek. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
62. ^ a b Nakashima, Ellen; Eunjung Cha, Ariana (January 14, 2010). "Google China cyberattack part of vast espionage campaign, experts say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
63. ^ McMillan, Robert (October 23, 2009). "Report Says China Ready for Cyber-war, Espionage". PC World. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
64. ^ a b Gorman, Siobhan (April 9, 2009). "Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
65. ^ "The new front in China's cyber campaign against America". The Economist. June 13, 2024. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
66. ^ "Google cyber attack hit password system" The New York Times, Reuters, April 19, 2010.
67. ^ Goodin, Dan (May 21, 2013). "Chinese hackers who breached Google reportedly targeted classified data". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
68. ^ Jacobs, Andrew; Helft, Miguel (January 12, 2010). "Google, Citing Attack, Threatens to Exit China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
69. ^ Zetter, Kim (January 13, 2010). "Google Hackers Targeted Source Code of More Than 30 Companies". Wired. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
70. ^ "US embassy cables: China uses access to Microsoft source code to help plot cyber warfare, US fears". The Guardian. December 4, 2010. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
71. ^ Riley, Michael, and Dune Lawrence, "Hackers Linked to China's Army Seen From EU to D.C. Archived January 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine", Bloomberg L.P., 27 July 2012
72. ^ "China's Response to BusinessWeek". BusinessWeek. April 10, 2008. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
73. ^ Zetter, Kim (January 25, 2010). "China Accuses US of Cyberwarfare". Wired. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
74. ^ Nakashima, Ellen (May 20, 2023). "Report on 'Operation Shady RAT' identifies widespread cyber-spying". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
75. ^ Anderlini, Jamil (January 15, 2010). "The Chinese dissident's 'unknown visitors'". Financial Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
76. ^ Barnes, Julian E. (March 4, 2008). "China's computer hacking worries Pentagon". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2008.
77. ^ Brookes, Peter (March 13, 2008). "Flashpoint: The Cyber Challenge: Cyber attacks are growing in number and sophistication". Family Security Matters. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
78. ^ a b Erickson, Andrew; Collins, Gabe (August 25, 2011). "Did China Tip Cyber War Hand?". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
79. ^ "The U.S. Presses on Cyberthreats; In Beijing, Treasury Secretary Frames Issue as a Top Priority in Ties With China". Archived May 18, 2017, at the Wayback Machine March 20, 2013 The Wall Street Journal
80. ^ Finkle, J., Menn, J., Viswanatha, J. "U.S. accuses China of cyber spying on American companies". Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Reuters, May 19, 2014.
81. ^ Clayton, Mark (May 19, 2014). "US indicts five in China's secret 'Unit 61398' for cyber-spying on US firms". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
82. ^ Chinese hacked U.S. military contractors, Senate panel finds Archived March 22, 2018, at the Wayback Machine September 18, 2014 Reuters
83. ^ FBI warns U.S. businesses of cyber attacks, blames Beijing Archived March 22, 2018, at the Wayback Machine October 16, 2014 Reuters
84. ^ Peterson, Andrea (September 24, 2015). "OPM says 5.6 million fingerprints stolen in the biggest cyber attack in US history. America doesn't have anything together this is why this happened". Independent. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
85. ^ Sanders, Sam (June 4, 2015). "Massive Data Breach Puts 4 Million Federal Employees' Records At Risk". NPR. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
86. ^ "Hacks of OPM databases compromised 22.1 million people, federal authorities say Archived July 26, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". The Washington Post. July 9, 2015.
87. ^ "China Used a Tiny Chip in a Hack That Infiltrated U.S. Companies". Bloomberg News. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
88. ^ Gordon Lubold; Dustin Volz (March 12, 2019). "Navy, Industry Partners Are 'Under Cyber Siege' by Chinese Hackers, Review Asserts; Hacking threatens U.S.'s standing as world's leading military power, study says". WSJ.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
89. ^ "US charges 4 members of Chinese military with Equifax hack". CNN. February 10, 2020. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
90. ^ Riotta, Chris (February 10, 2020). "US charges Chinese military hackers over cyber-attack of Equifax". The Independent. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
91. ^ "China, Caught Meddling in Past Two US Elections, Claims 'Not Interested' in 2020 Vote". Voice of America. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
92. ^ Barnes, Julian E. (March 16, 2021). "Russian Interference in 2020 Included Influencing Trump Associates, Report Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
93. ^ "Suspected Chinese hackers spied on U.S., European targets". PBS NewsHour. April 20, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
94. ^ "China-linked hackers used VPN flaw to target U.S. defense industry -researchers". in.finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
95. ^ Miller, Maggie (April 20, 2021). "Multiple agencies breached by hackers using Pulse Secure vulnerabilities". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
96. ^ "China-linked hackers used VPN flaw to target U.S. defense industry -researchers". Reuters. April 20, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
97. ^ Siddiqui, Zeba; Bing, Christopher; Bing, Christopher (May 25, 2023). "Chinese hackers spying on US critical infrastructure, Western intelligence says". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
98. ^ Sanger, David E.; Barnes, Julian E. (July 29, 2023). "U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
99. ^ Nakashima, Ellen; Menn, Joseph (December 12, 2023). "China's cyber army is invading critical U.S. services". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
100. ^ Volz, Dustin (January 31, 2024). "U.S. Disables Chinese Hacking Operation That Targeted Critical Infrastructure". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
101. ^ Lyngaas, Sean (February 7, 2024). "Chinese hackers have lurked in some US infrastructure systems for 'at least five years'". CNN. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
102. ^ "Disrupting malicious uses of AI by state-affiliated threat actors". February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
103. ^ "Staying ahead of threat actors in the age of AI". Microsoft. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
104. ^ McLaughlin, Jenna (February 22, 2024). "Leaked document trove shows a Chinese hacking scheme focused on harassing dissidents". NPR. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
105. ^ "Leaked files from Chinese firm show vast international hacking effort". The Washington Post. February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
106. ^ Mozur, Paul; Bradsher, Keith; Liu, John; Krolik, Aaron (February 22, 2024). "Leaked Files Show the Secret World of China's Hackers for Hire". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
107. ^ Tucker, Eric (September 18, 2024). "FBI disrupts Chinese cyber operation targeting critical infrastructure in the US". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
108. ^ "Court-Authorized Operation Disrupts Worldwide Botnet Used by People's Republic of China State-Sponsored Hackers". United States Department of Justice. September 18, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
109. ^ "The 30-year-old internet backdoor law that came back to bite". October 7, 2024.
110. ^ Michael Kan (October 7, 2024). "Chinese Hackers Reportedly Breached ISPs Including AT&T, Verizon". PC Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2024. "privacy researchers to call out the US government for maintaining a confidential "backdoor" to enable internet-based wiretapping. "Case in point: there's no way to build a backdoor that only the 'good guys' can use," tweeted Meredith Whittaker, president of the encrypted chat app Signal"
111. ^ Sarah Krouse; Dustin Volz; Aruna Viswanatha; Robert McMillan (October 5, 2024). "U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 8, 2024. "For months or longer, the hackers might have held access to network infrastructure used to cooperate with lawful U.S. requests for communications data"
112. ^ Dustin Volz (November 2, 2024). "Chinese Hackers Stole Phone Audio From Both Harris and Trump Campaigns". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2024. "targeted the phones of former President Donald Trump, his running mate, JD Vance, and people affiliated with Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign"
113. ^ Brooks Harper, Karen (November 20, 2024). "Gov. Greg Abbott issues this week's third executive order targeting China". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
114. ^ Sanger, David E. (December 16, 2024). "Biden Administration Takes First Step to Retaliate Against China Over Hack". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
115. ^ "Treasury says Chinese hackers remotely accessed workstations, documents in 'major' cyber incident". Associated Press. December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
116. ^ Smith, Colby (December 30, 2024). "US Treasury says Chinese state-backed actor hacked its computers". Financial Times. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
117. ^ Hussein, Fatima (January 3, 2025). "US sanctions Beijing-based cyber group for its alleged role in hacking incidents". Associated Press. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
118. ^ "US sanctions China's Integrity Technology over alleged hacking sweep". Reuters. January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
119. ^ https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/chinese-hackers-accessed-yellens-computer-us-treasury-breach-bloomberg-news-2025-01-17/
120. ^ Greenberg, Andy (August 6, 2020). "Chinese Hackers Have Pillaged Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
121. ^ Tucker, Maxim (April 1, 2022). "China accused of hacking Ukraine days before Russian invasion". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
122. ^ "Mystery of alleged Chinese hack on eve of Ukraine invasion". BBC News. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
123. ^ Milmo, Dan (May 25, 2023). "GCHQ warns of fresh threat from Chinese state-sponsored hackers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
124. ^ Psaledakis, Daphne; Pearson, James (March 25, 2024). "US, UK accuse China over spy campaign that may have hit millions". Reuters. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
125. ^ Hui, Sylvia (March 25, 2024). "US and UK announce sanctions over China-linked hacks on election watchdog and lawmakers". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
126. ^ Sanger, David E.; Wong, Edward; Horowitz, Jason (July 28, 2020). "The Vatican Is Said to Be Hacked From China Before Talks With Beijing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
127. ^ Wolf, Jim (November 19, 2010). "Pentagon says "aware" of China Internet rerouting". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.

* v
* t
* e

Cyberwarfare by country

* China
* Iran
* Russia
* United States
* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

Disinformation and misinformation

Types

* Algorithmic radicalization
* Alternative facts
* Big lie
* Cherry picking
* Circular reporting
* Cognitive bias
* List of cognitive biases
* Conspiracy theory (list)
* Deception
* Denialism
* Disinformation attack
* Doublespeak
* Euphemistic misspeaking
* Factoid
* Fake news
* online
* list of websites
* Lying press
* Fallacy
* List of fallacies
* False accusation
* False dilemma
* False flag
* Fear, uncertainty, and doubt
* Firehose of falsehood
* Forgery as covert operation
* Gaslighting
* Half-truth
* Historical negationism
* Hoax
* Infodemic
* Internet manipulation
* Manipulation (psychology)
* Media culture
* Media manipulation
* Potemkin village
* Post-truth politics
* Psychological warfare
* Memetic warfare
* Military deception
* Propaganda
* black propaganda
* counterpropaganda
* State-sponsored Internet propaganda
* Quote mining
* Scientific fabrication
* Smearing
* Social bot
* Spin
* Truthiness
* Urban legend
* Whataboutism
* Yellow journalism

Books and documentaries

* Disinformation by Ion Mihai Pacepa
* Dezinformatsia: Active Measures in Soviet Strategy
* The KGB and Soviet Disinformation
* Who's Who in the CIA
* Merchants of Doubt
* After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News

Examples

* Bermuda Triangle
* Congo Free State propaganda war
* Climate change denial
* Free energy suppression
* Genocide denial
* Holocaust denial
* Illuminati
* International Jewish conspiracy
* Misinformation in the Israel–Hamas war
* Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
* New World Order
* Red mercury
* Reptilians
* Rothschilds
* Strategy of tension

| Health|

* 5G
* COVID-19 misinformation
* by governments
* Ebola
* HIV/AIDS denialism
* Mental illness denial
* Misinformation related to abortion
* Transgender health care
* Vaccines
* anti-vaccination
* autism
* COVID-19
* Water fluoridation controversy

|

Operations and events by country

| Canada|

Jihadunspun.com

|

China|

* Chinese information operations
* 50 Cent Party
* cyberwarfare
* Little Pink
* Internet Water Army
* PLA Unit 61398
* Spamouflage
* COVID-19
* Global Times

Czechoslovakia|

Operation Neptune

Germany|

* Funkspiel
* Propaganda in Nazi Germany
* Myth of the clean Wehrmacht

India|

* Fake news in India
* Godi-media
* Paid news in India
* OpIndia

Israel|

Team Jorge

Korea|

Voluntary Agency Network of Korea

Kuwait|

Fintas Group

Mexico|

Peñabots

Philippines|

* COVID-19 misinformation in the Philippines (ChinaAngVirus disinformation campaign)
* Fake news in the Philippines
* Historical distortion regarding Ferdinand Marcos

Russia /
Soviet Union|

| Soviet era|

* Active Measures
* K-1000 battleship
* Operation INFEKTION
* Operation Toucan
* Seat 12
* Soviet influence on the peace movement
* U.S. Army Field Manual 30-31B
* Useful idiot

|

Post-Soviet era|

* Cyberwarfare
* on Estonia
* during the Russo-Georgian War
* Information war against Ukraine
* Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
* On US elections
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020
* 2016 Brexit referendum
* 2024 Romanian presidential election
* Russian Institute for Strategic Studies
* Trolls from Olgino
* Web brigades

South Africa|

HIV/AIDS denialism

Turkey|

* Conspiracy theories
* Media censorship and disinformation during the Gezi Park protests
* AK Trolls

United Kingdom|

* Bell Pottinger
* Double-Cross System
* Clockwork Orange plot
* Euromyth
* Lancet MMR autism fraud
* Operation Mass Appeal
* Psychological Warfare Division
* Zinoviev letter

United States|

* 1995 CIA disinformation controversy
* Attempts to overturn the 2020 election
* Conspiracy theories
* 9/11 conspiracy theories
* CIA Kennedy assassination
* QAnon
* Sandy Hook
* COVID-19
* Fake news
* online
* Election denial movement in the United States
* The Freedom Fighter's Manual
* Habbush letter
* Information Operations Roadmap
* Litter boxes in schools
* Mohamed Atta's alleged Prague connection
* Niger uranium forgeries
* Tobacco industry playbook
* Operation Shocker
* Yellow rain

Venezuela|

Bolivarian Army of Trolls

Vietnam|

* Public opinion brigades
* Force 47

Opposition

* Fact-checking
* Fact-checking website
* Active Measures Working Group
* Counter disinformation unit
* Counter Misinformation Team
* Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act
* The Disinformation Project
* East StratCom Task Force
* FactCheck.org
* Full Fact
* Logically
* NewsGuard
* PolitiFact
* Snopes
* StopFake
* United States Information Agency
* USAFacts

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template