Secret World of China’s Hackers for Hire

[MsAmerica]

Leaked Files Show the Secret World of China’s Hackers for Hire
China has increasingly turned to private companies in campaigns to hack foreign governments and control its domestic population.
By Paul Mozur, Keith Bradsher, John Liu and Aaron Krolik

The work is part of a campaign to break into the websites of foreign governments and telecommunications firms.

The materials, which were posted to a public website last week, revealed an eight-year effort to target databases and tap communications in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India and elsewhere in Asia. The files also showed a campaign to closely monitor the activities of ethnic minorities in China and online gambling companies. The data included records of apparent correspondence between employees, lists of targets and material showing off cyberattack tools. Three cybersecurity experts interviewed by The New York Times said the documents appeared to be authentic.

Taken together, the files offered a rare look inside the secretive world of China’s state-backed hackers for hire. They illustrated how Chinese law enforcement and its premier spy agency, the Ministry of State Security, have reached beyond their own ranks to tap private-sector talent in a hacking campaign that United States officials say has targeted American companies and government agencies...

The revelations underscore the degree to which China has ignored, or evaded, American and other efforts for more than a decade to limit its extensive hacking operations. And it comes as American officials are warning that the country not only has doubled down, but also has moved from mere espionage to the implantation of malicious code in American critical infrastructure — perhaps to prepare for a day when conflict erupts over Taiwan.

www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/business/china-leaked-files.html

dnyuz.com/2024/02/22/as-china-expands-its-hacking-operations-a-vulnerability-emerges/

[StoneTheCrone]

Awful but not surprising.

You'd do better posting this in AIBU or Chat, as this board gets no traffic.

[tribpot]

Worth having a listen to the Lazarus Heist podcast - fascinating insight into North Korean hacking groups.

[MsAmerica]

@StoneTheCrone

Awful but not surprising.

You'd do better posting this in AIBU or Chat, as this board gets no traffic.

You know what? You're absolutely right, but I refuse.

I find it so offensive the way a couple of forums like AIBU have uselessly become catch-alls, which may be partly due to the site's highlighting "trending."

[StoneTheCrone]

I agree totally OP but what can you do if you want to chat meaningfully? Go where the people are I say (but then it does dilute the quality somewhat).

[MsAmerica]

@StoneTheCrone

I agree totally OP but what can you do if you want to chat meaningfully? Go where the people are I say (but then it does dilute the quality somewhat).

@StoneTheCrone, I'm not sure I totally understand what you're saying. Are you talking about wanting to "chat meaningfully" on a public forum or in a private email? Are you taking about the problem of surveillance or about a site insinuating evil disinformation?

[StoneTheCrone]

I was referring to Mumsnet.