State-sponsored hackers target human rights groups, study says – The Globe and Mail

Not surprising:

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Mr. Deibert explained the Internet has extended the reach of repressive states.

Cyberespionage may well cost businesses their profits, he said, but for refugees and dissidents the downstream effects can be “arrest, detention, or even loss of life.” Consider what could happen to exiles who return to countries that never stopped capturing their conversations.

For its study, the Citizen Lab examined eight groups engaged in “rights issues related to China and Tibet.” It also looked at two larger human-rights groups operating globally. The organizations submitted their data and devices for analysis, on the condition that they remain anonymous.

The report suggests that hackers known to cybersecurity experts as “APT1” – short for Advanced Persistent Threat 1 – were targeting at least one China-focused group and one international rights group. This is significant because experts regard APT1 as a powerful hacking team run by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

Such groups use social media to study up on key personnel in targeted organizations. This research helps them craft messages that their prey will more likely open – and be infected by.

May be some opportunities for capacity-building but the Government doesn’t exactly have good relations with many NGOs.

State-sponsored hackers target human rights groups, study says – The Globe and Mail.