International cyber agencies on Thursday (23 April) urged organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers to conceal malicious activity, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.
The NCSC published the new guidance alongside industry partners and 15 international agencies from eight countries: the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.
Covert networks - typically made up of vulnerable, everyday internet-connected devices such as home routers and smart devices - are used to target critical sectors globally, steal sensitive data and maintain persistent access.
"In recent years, we have seen a deliberate shift in cyber groups based in China utilising these networks to hide their malicious activity in an attempt to avoid accountability," NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester said in a statement.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The new guidance - jointly issued with agencies including the U.S.’s Federal Bureau of Investigation - warns that attacks can be difficult to detect because evidence can disappear quickly, complicating efforts to disrupt such activity.
The advisory comes a day after Richard Horne, head of the NCSC, warned Britain to brace for a rise in cyberattacks directly or indirectly linked to nation states, including China, Iran and Russia.
He said his agency continued to handle about four nationally significant cyber incidents a week on average, adding that the most severe attacks were increasingly tied to governments rather than criminal groups alone.
Britain has also called on leading AI companies to work with the government to develop AI-powered cyber-defence capabilities aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening t...
Iran says it is holding “positive” talks with Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, while an official source familiar with t...
Top Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Amman on Wednesday to establish a mechanism to document alleged Israeli violations in Jer...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 5th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. data analytics firm Palantir Technologies has reported a 93 per cent year-on-year jump in second-quarter revenue, even as the company faces continued criticism over its work with Israel's military and allegations linking its technology to the war in Gaza.a.
Türkiye's ruling alliance has submitted draft legislation to parliament aimed at advancing the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The proposed law includes legal protections for many former militants and suspended prison sentences for some convicted members.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's ambassadors to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries. The removals came after a speech on Monday in which he said embassies would be judged on their effectiveness in securing weapons for Ukraine.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have begun implementing a landmark 2022 border agreement, launching a land exchange to complete the demarcation of their shared frontier and pave the way for new infrastructure projects.
A new Ebola treatment centre is due to open this week in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as authorities battle the country's largest and fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. Officials hope the new facility will ease pressure on an overstretched healthcare system.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces will not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, casting further doubt on a U.S.-backed proposal aimed at ending the war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment