Germany summons Chinese envoy over govt agency cyberattack

Germany has summoned the Chinese ambassador to Berlin over a 2021 cyberattack by “state actors” who were seeking to spy on a crucial government mapping agency, officials said Wednesday.

Western nations have been increasingly voicing concerns about cyber breaches by Beijing-backed groups directed at targets ranging from lawmakers to democratic institutions.

In the latest case revealed Wednesday, the German government said the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy — a branch of science related to studying the Earth — had been hit.

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The agency, which officials said performs an “important function” for state and private- sector institutions, makes products such as printed and digital maps and other digital tools.

“This serious cyberattack on a federal authority shows how great the danger posed by Chinese cyberattacks and espionage is,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.

“We call on China to refrain from and prevent such cyberattacks… (which) threaten the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe.”

Intelligence services concluded after an investigation that “Chinese state actors” were behind the attack and that it was for “espionage purposes”, according to the foreign ministry.

The investigation found that one of the agency’s networks had been compromised.

The network has been reconfigured to ensure those behind the attack are now blocked from accessing it, and security measures at the agency have been strengthened.

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– Growing threat –

The attack was the latest in what German officials believe are a wave of such attacks stemming from China.

State-controlled Chinese “cyber actors” targeted companies, official bodies, private individuals and political institutions last year, according to the interior ministry.

They were aiming to obtain information on matters including German government positions on German and European foreign policy and how it relates to China, it said.

“The approach of cyber espionage actors has undergone significant qualitative and quantitative development, resulting in unprecedented reach and effectiveness,” the ministry warned.

“Authorities expect a further intensification of state-run espionage and influence activities by China.”

Germany has been seeking to strengthen its digital security in the face of the growing threat.

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Berlin announced this month that it would phase out the use of components from Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE in its 5G networks because of security concerns.

Berlin and Beijing traditionally enjoyed close relations, particularly on the economic front, but worries about China’s authoritarian tendencies have prompted Germany to take a more cautious stance.

Berlin’s concerns dovetail with those of its allies.

In March, the United States, Britain and New Zealand accused Beijing-backed cyber groups of being behind a series of attacks against lawmakers and key democratic institutions, in what appeared to be a concerted effort to hold China accountable.

China denied the allegations.

© Agence France-Presse