New Zealand has joined the United Kingdom in strongly condemning the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for its state-backed cyber activities, which have recently targeted democratic institutions, including the UK’s Electoral Commission and Members of Parliament.
This stance against cyber-enabled espionage reflects a growing concern over the integrity of democratic processes worldwide.
The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) of New Zealand has revealed that a state-sponsored actor, associated with the PRC, has been implicated in a series of cyber-attacks against New Zealand’s Parliamentary entities.
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The Minister Responsible for the GCSB, Judith Collins, expressed that such interference in democratic institutions is intolerable.
APT40: The Group Behind the Attack
Following a comprehensive technical assessment of a 2021 cyber breach that affected the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the Parliamentary Service, the GCSB’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has attributed the malicious activity to a PRC state-sponsored group known as APT40.
The NCSC’s swift action, in collaboration with the affected organizations, contained and removed the threat actors from the network.
Minister Collins praised the impacted organizations for their decisive response to the cyber-attack, acknowledging their efforts to mitigate the damage and subsequent measures to bolster their cyber defenses.
The protection of networks, which hold critical information for the government’s functioning, is of the utmost importance.
As part of a collective response, many of New Zealand’s international partners have also shared their encounters with malicious cyber activities that threaten global democratic institutions.
This united front is a stark reminder of the necessity for robust cybersecurity measures.
The Importance of Cyber Resilience
The recent cyber-attacks underscore the critical need for strong cybersecurity practices to safeguard against such threats.
Organizations and individuals alike are urged to implement and maintain effective cyber defenses to protect the integrity of democratic processes and sensitive government information.
The international community’s collective effort to combat cyber espionage is a testament to the shared values of protecting democratic institutions and processes.
As demonstrated by the GCSB’s actions, New Zealand’s commitment to cybersecurity is a crucial step in the ongoing battle against state-sponsored cyber threats.
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