Diplomats' emails have been covertly accessed by China for an extended period.
Alert from NATO and EU as China Accused of Cyber Espionage on Czech Diplomatic Emails
Brussels is grappling with a concern-inducing revelation and a wave of outrage. The Czech Republic, a member of both NATO and the EU, alleges that China has been spying on its diplomatic communication for years.
Amid mounting concerns about increasing malicious cyber activities originating from the People's Republic of China, NATO and the EU have voiced their worries and resolve to counter such acts. In a joint statement, the 32 NATO nations express growing concern over the continuous cyber threats emanating from China. Meanwhile, the EU declares its readiness to impose additional measures if required, a strategy that has encompassed sanctions previously.
The allegations of cyber espionage surfaced following an investigation divulged by Seznamzpravy.cz, a Czech news portal. Suspected China-linked cyber espionage group, APT31, is believed to be responsible for the attack on the Foreign Ministry's communication network of the targeted NATO and EU nation.
The APT31 group, with ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security, is notorious for engaging in cyber espionage activities associated with the Chinese state. The investigation, which involved various Czech intelligence agencies and the national cyber and information security authority, indicates that China may have had access to the emails of Czech diplomats for an extended period.
The infiltrated communication network was not utilized for the exchange of classified information, the Foreign Ministry underscores. The EU imposed sanctions on Chinese hackers for the first time in 2020, targeting those involved in the global operation "Cloud Hopper."
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has publicly denounced the attack on social media, stating, "Today, the EU holds a state-supported Chinese actor accountable for a malicious cyber campaign against the Czech Republic." This action, she emphasizes, constitutes an "unacceptable violation of international norms."
References:
- CyberScoop
- Recorded Future
- Security Affairs
- ntv.de
- CNN
- The European Union and NATO have expressed their worries about the increasing cyber threats from China, following allegations of cyber espionage on the Czech Republic's diplomatic emails.
- In response to the cyber espionage operation against the Czech Republic, the EU has declared its readiness to impose additional measures, which could include sanctions, if necessary, to counter such acts.
