Chinese hacking teams have been blamed by Western intelligence agencies and cybersecurity groups for digital intrusion campaigns across the world. U.S.-based Mandiant has said some Chinese hacking groups are operated by units of China’s army. China’s authorities have consistently denied any form of state-sponsored hacking, saying China itself is a frequent target of cyberattacks.
Some of the biggest Chinese hacking teams identified by intelligence agencies and cybersecurity groups are Volt Typhoon, BackdoorDiplomacy, APT 41 and APT 27. Volt Typhoon was accused of spying on U.S. critical infrastructure organisations, while BackdoorDiplomacy was linked to the Chinese state and was part of the APT15 hacking group. APT 41 has conducted a mix of government-backed cyber intrusions and financially motivated data breaches, while APT 27 has launched multiple attacks on Western and Taiwanese government agencies.
China’s foreign ministry has described the reports as part of a U.S. disinformation campaign, while the Chinese authorities have described such reports as “groundless accusations”.