Leaked documents reveal extent of China's hacking operations

According to a report in Business Insider, a significant data breach has exposed over 570 files and documents related to Chinese hacking activities, shedding light on the scale and effectiveness of China's cyber espionage operations. The leaked documents, posted on GitHub, reportedly belong to iSoon, a private security contractor with links to China's Ministry of Public Security.

Cybersecurity expert John Hultquitist, analyzing the leaked data, expressed confidence in its authenticity, describing it as evidence of a contractor supporting both global and domestic cyber-espionage operations originating from China. Chinese police are reportedly investigating the leak, according to unnamed iSoon employees cited by the Associated Press.

The leaked files identify at least 20 hacking targets, including countries such as the UK, India, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia. Notably, the documents indicate data extraction from foreign telecommunications firms, exposing the breadth of China's hacking efforts.

The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in software produced by major companies like Microsoft and Google, according to the leaked files. This revelation aligns with previous warnings from security officials and experts about the sophisticated nature of China's hacking operations.

FBI chief Christopher Wray had highlighted the extent of China's cyber threat in October, describing it as "the biggest hacking program in the world." The leaked documents inadvertently support Wray's assessment, revealing that China has "stolen more of our personal and corporate data than every nation, big or small, combined."

Wray also emphasized the overwhelming challenge faced by the FBI in countering Chinese hackers, stating that even if all FBI cyber personnel focused exclusively on the China threat, they would still be outnumbered by at least 50 to 1.

As the international community grapples with the implications of this data breach, representatives for China's foreign ministry have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Source: Business Insider