Corrected: Local internet provider target of cybersecurity attack last year – FireEye

[Correction: TDM Radio has issued a correction indicating that FireEye has expressed they never named CTM as the target of the cyberattack]

US cybersecurity company FireEye has indicated that a local communications provider was targeted by Chinese state-sponsored hackers in 2018, TDM Radio reported.

This month MNA had reported that a cyber threat intelligence report issued by the US cybersecurity company revealed that Macau and Hong Kong were targetted by Chinese state-sponsored hacking units, in part, as ‘tests’ for worldwide attacks.

A FireEye cybersecurity analyst, Ben Read, now revealed to TDM Radio that a ‘spearfishing’ attack – sending malicious malware through email to a target with the intent of stealing data – was made against the local telecom provider in October of last year.

“It’s malware that was previously used by what we suspect to be a Chinese-backed group to target Hong Kong political parties and activists, which is consistent with internal stability-related operations that the Chinese government conducts,” Read explained in the radio report.

The FireEye expert also indicated that the company had not recorded other cyberattacks to Macau entities last year.

Yesterday the Macau government introduced an administrative regulation to set up a cybersecurity committee responsible for responding to emergency and alert situations.