The broad range of cyber threats from Beijing disclosed by international bodies on Monday included a ransomware attack from alleged Chinese Government-affiliated hackers who targeted victims with demands for millions of dollars. Furthermore, the exploitation of Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities in New Zealand in early 2021, which the GCSB attributed to state-sponsored Chinese actors, left many companies and organisations vulnerable to other attacks. Cyberattacks are an increasing issue worldwide and analysts say the breadth of them and the damage they cause is getting worse, putting people, businesses and governments at a disadvantage and posing a security risk. China has long been accused of espionage – in part, so that allegedly offshore intellectual property can be stolen to benefit Chinese businesses. However, the recent attacks were more widespread and also of more concern because Microsoft’s vulnerabilities were shared, allowing them to be exploited by other cyb
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Sydney, Australia, Jul 20 (EFE).- Australia and New Zealand have joined the United States, the European Union, NATO and other members of the international community in accusing China of “malicious cyber activities,” including March’s global Microsoft cyberattack
Australia called on all countries, including China, to “act responsibly in cyberspace.”
“The Australian Government has determined that China’s Ministry of State Security exploited vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Exchange software to affect thousands of computers and networks worldwide, including in Australia,” said Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, Defense Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne in a joint statement late Monday.
Today’s multi-country condemnation of cyber-attacks by Chinese state-sponsored agencies was a sign of increasing frustration at recent behaviour. But it also masks the real problem international law isn’t strong or coherent enough to deal with this growing threat.
The coordinated announcement by several countries, including the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, echoes the most recent threat assessment from the US intelligence community: cyber threats from nation states and their surrogates will remain acute for the foreseeable future.
Joining the chorus against China may be diplomatically risky for New Zealand and others, and China has already described the claims as “groundless and irresponsible”. But there is no doubt the problem is real.
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NZ joins chorus of condemnation over China’s role in malicious cyber attacks
Including the global Microsoft Exchange Server hack earlier this year.
Andrew Little (Government Communications Security Bureau) Credit: Supplied
The New Zealand government has joined a chorus of public condemnation from the likes of the US, the UK, Australia and other allies accusing the Chinese government of backing malicious cyber activity in regions around the world, including the global Microsoft Exchange Server hack earlier this year.
Alexander Gillespie
Opinion - Today s multi-country condemnation of cyber attacks by Chinese state-sponsored agencies was a sign of increasing frustration at recent behaviour. But it also masks the real problem - international law isn t strong or coherent enough to deal with this growing threat.
Photo: 123rf
The coordinated announcement by several countries, including the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, echoes the most recent threat assessment from the US intelligence community: cyber threats from nation states and their surrogates will remain acute for the foreseeable future.
Joining the chorus against China may be diplomatically risky for New Zealand and others, and China has already described the claims as groundless and irresponsible . But there is no doubt the problem is real.