By Trend News Line 2024-03-28 04:27:53.
The Rise of China in Cyber Exploitation
China has once again come under the spotlight for its leading role in government-backed exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities. A recent report by Alphabet Inc.’s Google revealed that Chinese cyber espionage groups exploited 12 zero-day vulnerabilities in 2023, marking a significant increase from the previous year. This trend reflects a broader surge in zero-day exploits globally, with a total of 97 vulnerabilities exploited in 2023.
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Insights from the Experts
James Sadowski, principal analyst at Mandiant Intelligence, highlighted that attackers are increasingly focusing on third-party components and libraries to maximize the impact of their exploits. The report also pointed out a 64% increase in the exploitation of enterprise-specific technologies in 2023, with a growing number of targeted enterprise vendors since 2019.
Changing Landscape of Cyber Threats
Despite the overall increase in zero-day exploits, the proportion of financially motivated actors decreased in 2023. The report noted that financially motivated actors accounted for 10 zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in 2023, a lower proportion compared to the previous year. However, threat group FIN11 exploited three zero-day vulnerabilities, while at least four ransomware groups separately exploited another four vulnerabilities.
Global Concerns Over China’s Cyber Activities
The report’s findings align with the growing global concerns over China’s cyber activities. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned about China’s covert placement of offensive malware in U.S. critical infrastructure networks, highlighting it as a significant national security threat. This warning came on the heels of a crackdown on a widespread Chinese cyber espionage effort known as Volt Typhoon by the U.S. in January.
International Backlash Against Chinese Cyberattacks
Australia and New Zealand have joined forces to accuse China of orchestrating cyberattacks on democratic institutions. New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, denounced the malicious cyber activity directed at the country’s parliament in 2021, linking these attacks to entities allegedly supported by the Chinese government. Australia has also condemned China’s cyber assaults on U.K. democratic entities and lawmakers, expressing concerns about the continued targeting of democratic institutions and procedures.
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In conclusion, as cyber threats continue to evolve and escalate on a global scale, the spotlight remains firmly on China’s role in cyber exploitation. The increasing sophistication and frequency of zero-day exploits underscore the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to combat these growing threats..
– China cyber espionage surge
– Zero-day exploits China cyber.
