Taiwan’s collection of cyberhackers may not be sophisticated, but they are “diligent” when it comes to executing attacks on various mainland Chinese targets, according to one of the country’s top cybersecurity experts.
Zhou Hongyi, chairman of cybersecurity company Qihoo 360 and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, said in an interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV that aired on Wednesday that Taiwanese hackers operated at a “below global-average level”.
“They take advantage of the fact that many of our organisations neglect security and fail to apply patches, so even old vulnerabilities can still work for them,” he told the media outlet during an internet security conference in Beijing.
“Their only real advantage is their diligence. They launch attacks on the mainland very frequently and target a wide range of organisations, which is why we’ve collected the most evidence against them,” Zhou was quoted as saying on the conference’s sidelines.
Zhou Hongyi, chairman of China’s Qihoo 360, speaks to media in Beijing in March: Photo: Getty Images
Qihoo 360 was among several Chinese firms added to the US Entity List in 2020. Companies listed on the trade-restriction register have been deemed by Washington as a threat to US national security or foreign policy. Once on the list, the firms cannot receive American goods and technology without a special licence.
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait have accused each other of cyberspace militarisation, considered part of “grey zone” tactics, or deniable activities intended to disrupt, intimidate or sway opinion without provoking open conflict.
The X account of Sesame Street’s Elmo, a beloved children’s television character, shared antisemitic and anti-Donald Trump posts after being hacked, US media reported on…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) will announce on Monday new measures to be implemented by banks to safeguard the public from financial fraud, stepping…
Pete Hegseth’s former spokesman said the Pentagon has been overwhelmed by staff drama and turnover in the initial months of the second Trump administration, calling…
Modern conflicts are already being fought in space and the next wars will begin there, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, singling out the threat…
North Korea is believed to hold the world’s third-largest reserve of government-owned bitcoin, following a US$1.5 billion cryptocurrency heist linked to state-backed hackers. According to…
The Washington Post is investigating a cyberattack on the email accounts of some of its journalists, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on…
