Diplomats' emails being covertly accessed by Chinese authorities over an extensive time period.
Alarm Raised: Alleged Years-Long Chinese Email Surveillance of Diplomats
Brussels is abuzz with concerns over a reported cyberattack on the Czech Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, perpetrated by Chinese hackers. The incident has sparked strong reactions from NATO and the EU, raising fears about potential violations of international norms.
A suspected Chinese cyber intrusion, traced back to the APT31 group, which is believed to be linked to China's Ministry of State Security, has sparked a wave of worry among NATO and EU member countries. In a joint statement, NATO nations stated they are increasingly concerned about the rising malicious cyber activities originating from the People's Republic of China, promising to counter these threats. Similarly, the EU has pledged to take further action if necessary, a course of action that has included sanctions in the past.
According to the Czech news portal Seznamzpravy.cz, the attack on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' communication network may have allowed China to intercept the emails of Czech diplomats for an extended period, starting in 2022. The compromised network, however, was not used for the exchange of classified information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has emphasized.
In 2020, the EU imposed sanctions on Chinese hackers for the first time. The targeted hacker group, APT10, was accused of launching global attacks on IT service providers in what was dubbed the "Cloud Hopper" operation. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas denounced the attack on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague, describing it as a clear and unacceptable violation of international norms.
While there is no specific evidence of these hackers targeting NATO and EU diplomatic communications directly, the incident underscores growing concerns over the security of EU and NATO critical infrastructure.
- Keywords: EU, NATO, Czech Republic, China, Hackers
Sources: ntv.de, toh/dpa
- The European Union (EU) and NATO are alarmed by the alleged cyberattack on the Czech Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attributed to Chinese hackers, as it could potentially signal a violation of international norms.
- The suspected Chinese cyber intrusion, attributed to the APT31 group, linked to China's Ministry of State Security, has prompted EU and NATO member countries to express growing concerns about malicious cyber activities originating from the People's Republic of China.
- Following the incident, there is increased focus on the security of EU and NATO critical infrastructure, as it underscores the potential vulnerability to Chinese cyber threats, even though there is no specific evidence of direct targeting of diplomatic communications.
