Tokyo police are exploring cyberattacks about 200 Japanese companies and research organizations, including the Nation’s space agency, with a hacking group Thought to be linked to the Chinese army
TOKYO — Tokyo authorities are exploring cyberattacks about 200 Japanese businesses and research organizations, including the nation’s space agency, with a hacking group thought to be connected to the Chinese military, the authorities said Tuesday.
Police consider that a string of hacks of all JAXA were ran in 2016-2017 by”Tick,” a Chinese cyberattack group under the management of a component of the People’s Liberation Army, Kato said.
A defendant in the JAXA instance, a Chinese systems engineer located in Japan, supposedly gained access to some leasing server by enrolling himself under a fictitious identity to establish the cyberattacks, Kato said, citing the police investigation.
NHK public television said the other Chinese national with suspected connections to the PLA unit that had been in Japan as an exchange student was also investigated in the situation. Both men have left the country, ” it said.
Authorities are investigating the attackers’ purpose and approaches, while also pursuing dozens of different cyberattacks they suspect are connected to China’s army, Kato said.
He added that no real data flow or harm was discovered so much but authorities are urging the companies to strengthen their security.
Japan’s Defense Ministry states cyberattacks are a part of climbing security threats from China since it gets more assertive in the area — a common concern discussed in April 16 talks in the White House involving U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
“Groundless speculation shouldn’t be permitted. China is strongly opposed to any nation or association utilizing cyberattacks to throw sand at China or to function the governmental purposes with cybersecurity problems,” he explained. “China is ready to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with all parties to address cybersecurity threats.”