13th April 2021, Kathmandu
30% of Global Cyber Attacks Originate from China. Is Beijing the Ultimate Virtual-threat Plotter?
China is using its state-sponsored cyber-attacks mostly as ‘cyber psyops’ to target rivals’ defense, economic and military capabilities or as ‘cyber espionage’ to target military and corporate data servers for intelligence gathering or as ‘cyber terrorism’ to target a nation’s infrastructure and critical assets.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think-tank based in Washington, 108 big cyber-attack incidents from 2006 to 2018 were linked to China. That makes China one of the biggest cyber offenders. Another report by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) says 30% of the global cyber-attack incidents have their origin in China.
The US and India are among the most targeted countries by Chinese hackers. In June 2020, a report by the US-based cybersecurity firm FireEye said the US was the most targeted country since 2016, while India was in 6th position. South Korea, Germany, and Japan are other most targeted countries.
A recent investigation by a US-based firm ‘Recorded Future’ says the power-grid failure in Mumbai in October could be linked to a Chinese state-sponsored cyber group, adding that the Chinese cyber attackers have got a ‘foothold’ in around a dozen critical nodes or building blocks across India’s power transmission infrastructure and ten different power sector organizations under the power-grid network are the main targets.
Here China used asymmetric cyber-attacks. The Mumbai power-grid lockdown by China’s state-sponsored hackers is a classic example of how China is constantly enhancing its cyber warfare capability by nation-state actors. The power-grid failure by Chinese nation-state actors was a mix of cyber-terrorism and cyber psyops activities and a counter-attack to India on its stand which has got the global diplomatic support in the border stand-off with China.
Here China used uneven cyber-attacks. The Mumbai power-grid lockdown by China’s state-sponsored hackers is a basic instance of how China is consistently enhancing its cyber warfare functionality by nation-state actors. The power-grid failure by Chinese nation-state actors was a combination of cyber-terrorism and cyber psyops actions and a counter-attack to India on its stand which has received international diplomatic assist in the border stand-off with China.
Research on coronavirus, Covid-19, and its vaccine is an effective instance to indicate how China is additionally plotting its cyber warfare agenda.
Two Chinese spies in the US have been charged to run a worldwide hacking marketing campaign to steal Covid-19 vaccine knowledge. According to the US, they’re half of a broader theft marketing campaign focusing on nations worldwide. Some nations and companies they’ve focused on are the US-primarily based vaccine agency Moderna, Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech in India, and Japanese and Spanish analysis establishments engaged on Covid-19 vaccine.
China’s nation-state actors are believed to be behind these hacking efforts that focus on efforts by different nations on vaccine analysis. The motive is to hunt political and financial positive factors.
Many main nations throughout the world imagine China is a Covid conspirator and a sophisticated knowledge on Covid-19 vaccine would assist China in mitigating this sense if it could actually supply ‘stolen’ Covid-19 vaccine to different nations beneath its diplomatic efforts.
The sympathy earned by it’ll additionally herald main monetary positive factors with China producing a vaccine testified on international well-being requirements, both by promoting it or exporting it.
Add to it, China is advancing rapidly in the use of artificial intelligence technology and it would further enhance its state-sponsored hacking efforts.