This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now licensed for reprint.
An online surveillance company reported in a new record that alleged Chinese state-sponsored hackers have increased cyber-espionage operations against Chinese targets since late last year with a special focus on the technology sector.
U. S. security firm Recorded Future said RedJuliett – a “likely Foreign state- sponsored group” – has conducted a campaign to gather intelligence on government, educational, technology, and political organizations in Taiwan over the six months from next November.
The RedJuliett plan good aimed to” help Beijing’s intelligence collection on Taiwan’s economic and diplomatic ties, as well as vital technology development”, Insikt Group, a team of researchers from Recorded Future, said in the , report.  ,
The hackers group probably operates from Fuzhou, the capital of southern China’s Fujian state, according to the experts. Fujian is the most apropiat province of China to Taiwan and is located on the west of the Taiwan Strait.
RedJuliette “exploited known vulnerabilities in network edge devices like firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs ), and load balancers for initial access,” according to Insikt.
The hackers organization also used the moniker” Flax Typhoon” and “Ethereal Panda,” which is thought to have been active since at least the middle of 2021.
More than 70 Chinese companies, including official offices overseas, were systematically recouped or attempted to be exploited by Red Juliett.
” Within Taiwan, we observed RedJuliett greatly target the technology industry, including businesses in vital technology grounds”, the security firm said.
Eight electronics manufacturers, two universities with a focus on technology, an industrial embedded systems company, a technology-focused research and development institute, two Taiwanese aerospace companies with contracts with Taiwanese military, as well as seven industry associations.
Besides Taiwan, the group also expanded its operations to compromise organizations in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Laos, South Korea, the United States, Djibouti, Kenya, and Rwanda, according to the U. S. firm.
China’s ‘ destabilizing’ actions
When questioned about the Recorded Future report, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, replied that she had no idea about it.  ,
Mao, however, said that the U. S. firm has “fabricated disinformation” about China in the past.
International security firms have issued a warning about numerous hacking operations that target foreign governments and organizations and are linked to the Chinese state.
China has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Beijing believes that Taiwan, a self-governing province, needs to be reunified with the mainland, using force if necessary.
Last Friday, China , warned , that supporters of independence for Taiwan could be tried in absentia and sentenced to death for” splitting the country”.
The U. S. on Monday condemned China’s “escalatory and destabilizing language and actions” against Taiwan.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller , told , a press briefing that threats and legal warfare” will not achieve peaceful resolution to cross- strait differences”.
We continue to advocate restraint and no unilateral revision of the status quo. And we urge Taiwan to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the People’s Republic of China,” Miller said, referring to China under its official name as the People’s Republic of China.
