Up to 30 spear phishing emails are sent to government employees each month

Jul 19, 2013 20:11 GMT  ·  By

IT security experts from Taiwan say Chinese hackers test their skills on their systems before moving on to bigger targets.

Experts have told Reuters that attack signatures spotted in Taiwan are later identified in similar operations against the United States.

The cyberattacks launched by China against Taiwan have been ongoing for at least a decade. In 2003, a Taiwanese police agency discovered that hackers broke into their systems and stole personal data.

Unlike other cyberattacks, this one appeared to be launched by “very, very well organized” criminals.

Researchers in Taiwan highlight the fact that a large number of agencies are attacked each day, which is a clear indicator that the cybercriminals are sponsored by a nation state.

In most cases, spear-phishing attacks are used to gain access to sensitive information. Reportedly, top Taiwanese government employees receive up to 30 spear-phishing emails each month.

In the meantime, China continues to deny any involvement in cyber espionage operations, arguing that it too is a victim of hackers.