Diplomats' emails have been covertly perused by Chinese authorities for an extended period.
CHINA ACCUSED OF YEARS-LONG SPYING ON CZECH DIPLOMATIC EMAILS
Brussels — Rising concerns and outrage ensue as reports suggest China may have been spying on a NATO and EU country's diplomatic communication for years. The suspected cyberattack on the Czech Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for immediate action from both NATO and the EU.
The joint statement from 32 NATO nations expressed mounting worry over the increasing malicious cyber activities originating from the People's Republic of China. Simultaneously, the EU declared readiness to enforce sanctions should the need arise.
The cyber-espionage group APT31, believed to be linked to China's Ministry of State Security, is thought to be responsible for the attacks on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' communications network, which reportedly began in 2022. Thousands of private diplomatic messages, including emails and documents relating to Asia and confidential communications between embassies and EU institutions, were compromised.
The Czech authorities, including the domestic, foreign, military intelligence services, and the national authority for cyber and information security, launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter. The ministries assured that the breached communications network was not used to exchange classified information.
In 2020, the EU imposed sanctions on Chinese hackers for the first time, targeting alleged members of the Chinese hacker group APT10. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, described the recent attack on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague as a clear and unacceptable violation of international norms.
China has denied the allegations concerning the spying on Czech diplomats' emails.
- The European Union (EU) is considering enforcing sanctions on China, following allegations of years-long cyberespionage on Czech diplomatic emails, a concern that aligns with the joint statement issued by 32 NATO nations.
- As technology advances and politics become increasingly intertwined in the digital sphere, cybersecurity emerges as a significant general-news issue, with the recent alleged cyberattack on the Czech Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs exemplifying this growing concern.
