Information
Germany’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to Berlin in response to a 2021 cyberattack on the German government’s mapping agency, allegedly conducted by “Chinese state actors.” The ministry’s spokesman, Sebastian Fischer, condemned these cyber activities, emphasising the need for responsible and rules-based behaviour in cyberspace. He highlighted the significant threat posed by Chinese espionage and cyberattacks, with the targeted agency, the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) in Frankfurt, being involved in analysing detailed satellite images.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of cyberattacks attributed to China, with several governments, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and India accusing China of similar actions in recent years. In 2017, Foreign Policy reported on expert claims that China has a “hacker army” of tens of thousands of people. The summoning of the Chinese envoy marks a significant diplomatic action, being the first since the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, underscoring the seriousness with which Germany views the situation.
Source: Reuters, dpa
So what
For a long time, cyber-attacks have been in what could be called the “grey zone” in which state actors or groups affiliated to states could conduct attacks without direct recourse being taken against the state. However, as tensions grow and countries become less concerned with offending rival states situations like this will begin to occur. Though it is unlikely that Germany will be able to do much to “punish” China, showing them that they are willing to accuse them of attacks such as this publicly it is positive.
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