China: Details have been released surrounding an intrusion into systems belonging to the National Association of Manufacturers which took place over the summer. The attacks took place around the same time that trade talks between the United States and China were set to take place. Following the detection of the intrusion, the National Association of Manufacturers called in a security firm to investigate. Based on the tools which were used and the techniques utilized by the attackers, it is currently assessed that a Chinese hacking group was responsible for the intrusion. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the attackers increased their efforts in the days surrounding a meeting between President Trump and the president of the National Association of Manufacturers. A spokesman said that it is still unknown what information was stolen during the intrusion into their systems.
Chinese Hackers Targeted National Association of Manufacturers
ANALYST NOTES
The trade war between the U.S. and China has been heating up throughout President Trump’s time in office. Even following the repeated discussion between the United States and China about the issues surrounding industrial espionage. Organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers make tempting targets because of the significant amounts of valuable industrial data that they have access to. They also make useful assets for launching phishing campaigns against industry partners as they are naturally trusted by the organizations which make up their industry.
Source: https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/470209-china-hacked-us-manufacturing-group-amid-trade-talks-report
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-cyber-exclusive/exclusive-u-s-manufacturing-group-hacked-by-china-as-trade-talks-intensified-sources-idUSKBN1XN1AY
