Leaked documents reveal China’s extensive cyber-espionage operations

Leaked documents from i-Soon, a Chinese cybersecurity company linked to the country’s cybersecurity apparatus, have provided fresh evidence of China’s extensive cyber espionage operations.

The documents expose China’s funding of hackers to target various groups, including Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists, the Uyghur community, and the Tibetan exile administration in Dharamshala, India.

According to the documents, i-Soon allegedly attempted to breach the Dalai Lama’s office in India. The Chinese Army and Police are reportedly among i-Soon’s major clients, suggesting state involvement in these activities.

The revelation adds to longstanding concerns about China’s history of conducting espionage abroad. A diplomatic crisis between China and the United States last year, triggered by a Chinese balloon entering American airspace, underscored the need for nations, including India, to bolster their counterintelligence capabilities.

Furthermore, US and British officials have accused Beijing of targeting lawmakers, academics, journalists, and defence contractors through cyber espionage.

Despite China’s denial of these allegations, analysts have pointed to a rise in cyberattacks linked to Chinese agencies.