Cybersecurity threats continue to loom large as a recent report by Chinese firm 360 Security Group revealed that more than 1,200 APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) attacks from 13 foreign APT organizations targeted China in 2023. The report, released on Tuesday, highlighted that these cyberattacks impacted 16 different industries, with education being the most frequently targeted sector.
According to experts from 360 Security Group, APT organizations are not ordinary individual hackers but represent high-level professional forces, often with direct involvement from national or political powers. These organizations are known for continuously monitoring and engaging in espionage activities against national governments and critical departments. The report emphasized that APT attacks pose a significant threat to a country’s politics, economy, society, and defense, potentially leading to the paralysis of transportation, banking, aviation, and hydroelectric systems, thereby impacting national political stability and economic development.
The report also highlighted the continuous evolution and sophistication of APT attack techniques, with the US being identified as the source of the most severe attacks. APT organizations from the US were noted for their automated, systematic, and intelligent cyberattack characteristics, capable of covering almost all internet and IoT assets worldwide, as well as controlling foreign networks and stealing critical data to serve military and political espionage objectives.
Global cybersecurity vendors and institutions have collectively released 731 APT reports, revealing 135 APT organizations. The report by 360 Security Group identified a total of 54 overseas APT organizations, including APT-C-57 (Volning) and APT-C-68 (Parasite) in 2023.
The impact of cyberattacks on China was felt across various industries, with the top five affected sectors being education, government, scientific research, national defense and military industry, and transportation. Half of the APT attacks were directed at China’s education and scientific research industry, with attackers exploiting compromised resources to carry out further precise attacks and espionage activities.
