China has cyber-attacked the Czech Republic, government says

NATO has released a statement “strongly condemning” the attack.

What is happening?

China has carried out a cyber attack on “one of the unclassified” networks of the Czech Republic Ministry of Foreign Affaris, according to Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavsky.

What did he say?

In a post on X, the minister wrote:

“China is interfering in our society – through manipulation, propaganda, and cyberattacks. Like the recent one against CzechMFA. We detected the attackers during the intrusion. Our key security institutions responded, investigated thoroughly – and now we’re going public.”

ATP31

The cyber campaign has been active since 2022, according to the ministry, and it’s allegedly been carried out by a group known as ATP31 – a cyber-espionage group linked to the Chinese Ministry of State.

Summoning Chinese ambassador

Lipavsky further said that he introduced a new communications system, that would take security “to the next level”.

He added that he has summonede the Chinese ambassador to make it clear that hostile actions like these have consequenses.

NATO support

The Czech Republic is a member of NATO, and following the uncovering of the alleged cyber attack, the alliance has released a statement of solidarity, where it “strongly condemn” malicious cyber activities.

Observing the “growing pattern”

NATO further says in the statement, that the alliance “observe with increasing concern the growing pattern of malicious cyber activities stemming from the People’s Republic of China.”

China has not yeat reacted to the Czech claims.