Information
The Czech Republic summoned China’s ambassador after accusing Beijing of a sustained cyber espionage campaign against its Foreign Affairs Ministry, involving unclassified communication networks. The cyberattacks, ongoing since 2022, were attributed to APT31, a group linked to China’s Ministry of State Security. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky condemned the attacks as hostile acts with serious consequences for diplomatic relations and demanded that China cease such behavior. Both the Czech government and EU strongly condemned the campaign, with the EU urging all nations, including China, to prevent malicious cyber activities originating from their territories. NATO echoed these concerns, highlighting a growing pattern of Chinese-linked cyber threats targeting democratic systems and critical infrastructure.
The tensions are part of broader geopolitical friction, as Prague’s increasing engagement with Taiwan has angered Beijing. Czech delegations have visited Taiwan, and the country has hosted high-level Taiwanese officials, deepening diplomatic strains. At the same time, Prague remains wary of Russian cyber threats, having summoned Russia’s ambassador earlier in May over cyberattacks attributed to APT28, a group tied to Russian military intelligence. The Czech intelligence service (BIS) has identified both China and Russia as significant security threats, reflecting Prague’s heightened vigilance in an increasingly volatile cyber and geopolitical landscape. China has denied engaging in state-sponsored hacking.
Source: Politico, Reuters
So What
Although Beijing is unlikely to admit to such actions, calling them out is a way to emphasize to the world that we recognize who is responsible for these operations. While it may not stop China from continuing these activities, addressing the issue is an important step in ensuring they do not carry out cyber attacks without consequence.
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