The Lithuanian State Security Department is sending a warning to its citizens that Chinese hackers are launching increasing cybersecurity attacks on Lithuanian citizens using social media.
While Chinese hackers don’t get as much international coverage as Russian hackers, they’re every bit as dangerous (granted, US citizens hear more about Chinese hackers than most countries).
Chinese hackers have increasingly targeted important Lithuanian citizens, like politicians, business owners, and journalists. The attacks are so widespread and successful because hackers are taking advantage of social media websites to pull off a variety of social engineering schemes.
“Chinese intelligence uses social networks to identify persons of interest who fit their target profile. These individuals may have direct access to sensitive information or a wide network of contacts,” the Lithuanian State Security Department said in a recent press release.
Chinese intelligence officers usually use the cover of representatives of various companies or think tanks when approaching targets, offering financial incentives for information.”
In addition to targeting Lithuanian citizens more often, cyber actors associated with Chinese intelligence agencies conduct regular vulnerability scans of Lithuanian defenses. Previously, they heavily investigated Lithuania’s role in the EU and NATO to find weaknesses.
“We assess that the risk of Chinese intelligence services targeting Lithuanian citizens traveling to China has increased since China lifted the pandemic restrictions,” the Lithuanian State Security Department said.
The press release also warns its international allies and citizens that their democratic processes may be in jeopardy.
“Chinese intelligence services likely will seek to collect information on Lithuanian national elections, both presidential and parliamentary as well as the European Parliament election,” declares the State Security Department,” the release said.
The warning reminds Lithuanian and international citizens that they need to take extra cybersecurity precautions. Be wary of phishing scams, even if the actors seem to be from a legitimate organization.