Australia Accuses China-Backed Hackers of Cyber Theft

Australia's cybersecurity agency has accused China-backed hacker group APT40 of stealing credentials from two unspecified Australian networks in 2022. A joint report with international cybersecurity agencies confirmed the group's involvement, adding they represent a continued threat. The report comes during efforts to rebuild Australia-China relations following past tensions.

Australia's government cybersecurity agency on Tuesday accused a China-backed hacker group of stealing passwords and usernames from two unnamed Australian networks in 2022, adding that the group remained a threat.

A joint report led by the Australian Cyber Security Centre stated that the hackers, named APT40, had conducted malicious cyber operations for China's Ministry of State Security, the main agency overseeing foreign intelligence. 'The activity and techniques overlap with the groups tracked as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 40,' said the report, which included inputs from leading cybersecurity agencies in the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.

China's embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. and British officials in March had accused Beijing of a sweeping cyberespionage campaign that allegedly targeted millions of people, including lawmakers, academics, and journalists, and companies, including defense contractors. They said China-backed 'APT31' was responsible for the network intrusion.

China at the time dismissed the hacking allegations by the U.S. and Britain as 'political manoeuvring.' APTs are a general term for cyber actors or groups, often state-backed, that engage in malicious cyber activities. Earlier this year, New Zealand stated APT40 targeted its parliamentary services and parliamentary counsel office in 2021, gaining access to vital information.

'The Australian government is committed to defending Australian organizations and individuals in the cyber domain, which is why for the first time we are leading this type of cyber attribution,' Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement. The report comes as both Australia and China are working to rebuild ties after a period of strained relations, which hit a low in 2020 when Canberra called for an investigation into the origin of COVID-19. Beijing responded with tariffs on several Australian commodities, most of which have now been lifted.

(With inputs from agencies.)