China’s Ministry of State Security revealed on Wednesday that foreign intelligence agencies are using crowdsourcing to gather sensitive data in China, posing a covert but serious threat to national security.
This covert method, dubbed “crowdsourced espionage,” poses an escalating threat. Foreign intelligence agencies break down intelligence-gathering missions into smaller, discrete tasks and distribute them via legitimate crowdsourcing platforms. Unwitting participants are recruited to carry out seemingly harmless data collection tasks, often unaware of the true intent behind their assignments. These individual data points are then analyzed and pieced together, enabling the agencies to acquire sensitive information.
Read more…
Source: Global Times News
Related:
- UK: Government departments ordered to stop installing cameras made by Chinese firms in ‘sensitive sites’
November 24, 2022
Government departments have been told to stop installing cameras made by Chinese firms in “sensitive sites”. They have also been urged to disconnect Chinese-made devices from core computer networks and to consider removing them altogether, amid security concerns. The Government Security Group has said that since companies in China have to comply with the country’s national intelligence ...
- WannaRen Returns as Life Ransomware, Targets India
November 23, 2022
Although not as well-known as ransomware families such as Ryuk, REvil, or Maze, WannaRen ransomware made a name for itself back in 2020 after it launched attacks against Chinese internet users, infecting tens of thousands of victims. However, it has become relatively quiet since that attack, with the ransomware’s authors even sharing its private encryption ...
- Wray tells lawmakers that FBI conducts cyber offensive operations
November 17, 2022
FBI Director Christopher Wray told Senate lawmakers on Thursday that his agency has been conducting offensive cyber operations against state and non-state cyber actors. Wray said offensive operations are one of many tactics the agency employs to counter various cyber threats. “Offense is a critical part of our overall effort to push back against cyber adversaries,” Wray ...
- Hack the Real Box: APT41’s New Subgroup Earth Longzhi
November 9, 2022
In early 2022, Trend Micro investigated an incident that compromised a company in Taiwan. The malware used in the incident was a simple but custom Cobalt Strike loader. After further investigation, however, we found incidents targeting multiple regions using a similar Cobalt Strike loader. While analyzing code similarities and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), we ...
- China is likely stockpiling and deploying vulnerabilities, says Microsoft
November 7, 2022
Microsoft has asserted that China’s offensive cyber capabilities have improved, thanks to a law that has allowed Beijing to create an arsenal of unreported software vulnerabilities. China’s 2021 law required organizations to report security vulnerabilities to local authorities before disclosing them to any other entity. The rules mean Beijing can use local research to hoard vulnerability ...
- How America’s Cyber Strategy Could Create an International Crisis
October 23, 2022
The United States has adopted a new cyber warfare strategy focused on “persistent engagement” and “forward defense” in an attempt to thwart Chinese, Russian and other state-sponsored cyber attacks. While this unprecedented “defend forward” approach gives America many significant advantages in navigating cyber warfare, it also entails high-risks that could unintentionally escalate conflict. As a ...