Taiwanese Hacking Group Launches Cyber Attacks Targeting Chinese Government Agencies and Research Institutes

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As China continues to intensify military pressure on Taiwan, Taiwanese hacking groups are expanding cyberattacks targeting Chinese government agencies and research institutes.

On the 9th, China's state-run media Global Times reported that Taiwanese hacking groups have been conducting cyberattacks targeting government agencies and research institutes in Beijing and Fujian Province, China.

According to a report obtained by Global Times from the Chinese security firm ThreatBook, the Taiwanese hacking group Greenspot has been hacking Chinese government agencies and research institutes in aerospace, military, and scientific fields since 2007 to steal confidential information.

They mainly use spear-phishing techniques via email to target specific organizations or individuals.

A representative from ThreatBook's Cyber Security Research and Response Center stated, "The scope of Greenspot's targeted attacks is extensive," adding, "50% of the targets were universities, while research institutes and government agencies accounted for 15% each."

Regarding why universities became the main targets, it was explained that most of Greenspot's attacks this year targeted researchers studying cross-strait relations, with attack regions being Beijing and Fujian Province, accounting for 53% and 9% of the total attacks, respectively.

Global Times analyzed that Beijing holds strategic significance as the political and economic center, while Fujian Province is strategically important due to its proximity to Taiwan.