Threat profileChina
China has invested significant resources in developing its offensive cyber capabilities. It now possesses an extremely large pool of cyber units which are tasked with advancing the state's interests through cyberspace. As a result, China is by far the most active nation in using its offensive cyber capabilities to advance its strategic agenda.
Request a free membership to access our full research insights
Already a member? Login here
- Strategic motives: Espionage, information theft and disruption
- Strategic goals: Advancing domestic stability, territorial integrity, (military) modernization, economic strength & growth
- Cyber capabilities: ★★★★☆
- Number of known cyber operations: ★★★★★
- Number of APTs: 198
Top-10 Actors
By amount of Operations
Chinese APTs
Our observations
0
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
0
Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs)
0
Attack tools
SWOT analysis
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats
Strengths
- Long-term view on using cyber to pursue its strategic agenda
- Comprehensive set of cyber-related national strategies and policies to achieve strategic goals
- Extremely large domestic internet market
- Large scale of cyber units conducting sophisticated cyber operations (e.g. espionage, disruption)
- Large pool of talented (freelance) hackers that can be recruited for its most advanced cyber units
- Chinese universities conducting cyber operations to obtain military-civil fusion research and technologies
- Fast developing digitalization and ICT industry
- Large scale and high speed development of cyber capabilities and talent
Weaknesses
- Relatively weak cyber defense capabilities
- Lagging behind other (Western) states in software production
Opportunities
- Increased share of domestically produced Chinese internet technologies
- Opportunity to use Chinese produced technology as an unparalleled intelligence gathering and attack vector
- Continued high activity in carrying out cyber-attacks using ‘plausible deniability
- Conducting highly sophisticated supply-chain attacks
Threats
- Continuous victim of DDoS-attacks
- Target for foreign nation states actors
- US and other western countries opposing China’s cyber-related ambitions
- 'Opportunistic' cyber operations interfering with achieving its long-term strategic goals
Our articles covering Chinese threats
From Hunt & Hackett experts
11Mar
iSoon leak sheds light on China’s use of extensive hacker-for-hire ecosystem
19Jan
De dreigingen, oplossingen & ervaringen in de land- en tuinbouwsector
24Feb
Lights can go out: Espionage & disruption in the energy sector
30Sep
All hands on deck: Attackers have entered the maritime industry
26Aug
Agriculture in the crosshairs of nation-state sponsored hackers