Tag: taiwan
Chinese Hackers Using ORB Networks to Evade Detection – May 23rd
Mandiant revealed that Chinese-linked state-backed hackers rely on operational relay box (ORBs) network proxy meshes to avoid detection for cyber espionage campaigns. For example, Mandiant pointed out that these advanced persistent threat actors (APTs) used ORBs for the 'SPACEHOP' critical vulnerability campaign earlier this year.
Critical infrastructure under increased attack
France-based Schneider Electric became the latest utility company to succumb to a ransomware attack on January 17, when some of its business divisions serving several critical industries were taken down. Although access to the system was eventually re-opened on January 31st, the incident underlines the growing seriousness of cyber-attacks aimed at the West’s critical infrastructure. Schnieder Electric has an annual turnover of over 42 billion and employs over 150,000 people. The ransomware attack on Schneider Electric coincides with news that, in the US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently neutralized a botnet controlled by a Chinese threat group. The White House had previously authorized the FBI to take down the botnet after federal agencies and private sector researchers had accused cyberespionage gang Volt Typhoon of a major campaign aimed at a wide range of the US’s critical infrastructure.
Geopolitical tensions fuel botnet boom
Recent weeks have seen an exponential rise in malicious botnets performing reconnaissance scanning to scout out victims. According to researchers at cybersecurity firm Netscout, the number of potentially compromised devices rose from around 10,000 to roughly 144,000 over December, with no sign of the trend letting up. “The trend continued into the new year, with the largest spikes occurring on January 5 and 6, eclipsing one million distinct devices. The levels reached an unprecedented 1,294,416 on the 5th,” reports Netscout. The Netscout researchers say that this increased malicious scanning has been isolated to five key countries: The United States, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Russia. All have seen a rise in attackers using cheap or free cloud and hosting servers to create botnet launch pads.
167% Rise in Malicious Bot Attacks Reported – November 23rd
Arkose Labs reported a 167% rise in malicious bot attacks for the first half of 2023. The Arkose Labs report focused on bots also stated that 73% of all website and app traffic measured comprised of malicious bots in order to initiate attack types such as SMS toll fraud, web scraping, card testing, and credential stuffing.
Taiwan hit by major cyber-espionage attack
A cyber-espionage campaign in the Pacific, directed principally at Taiwan, which took place in the Spring, has now come to light. According to cybersecurity company, Symantec, a large-scale program of cyber-enabled international espionage began in February 2023 and continued until at least May 2023.
China uses AI to power new propaganda campaign
China has stepped up its propaganda and disinformation war with the US in the latest escalation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s cyber war on the West. Microsoft reports a marked rise in CCP-affiliated covert influence operations that engage with target US audiences on social media.