Chinese hackers collected information from power grid near Ladakh: Report

The hackers are also suspected of compromising an Indian national emergency response system and a subsidiary of a global logistics firm, according to the article. According to the cyber intelligence organisation, the hacking gang was known as TAG-38, and it employed malicious software known as ShadowPad, which has also been linked to the Chinese government.

According to a Bloomberg article quoting threat intelligence firm Recorded Future Inc, suspected Chinese hackers have begun a cyber-espionage campaign against the Indian electricity industry. According to the cyber intelligence firm's assessment, state-sponsored Chinese hackers have been targeting the electricity industry in recent months as part of a cyber espionage effort.

It was reported that the hackers targeted at least seven "load dispatch" facilities in Northern India, which are in charge of performing real-time operations for grid control and energy distribution in the areas where they are located, near the disputed India-China border in Ladakh.

According to the report, one of the load dispatch centres had previously been a victim of another hacker gang known as RedEcho, which "significantly overlaps with a hacking outfit linked to the Chinese government," according to the US. "The sustained targeting of Indian power grid assets by Chinese state-linked entities provides limited prospects for economic espionage or traditional intelligence collection," according to the research, Recorded Future Inc.

The hackers are also suspected of compromising an Indian national emergency response system and a subsidiary of a global logistics firm, according to the article. According to the cyber intelligence organisation, the hacking gang was known as TAG-38, and it employed malicious software known as ShadowPad, which has also been linked to the Chinese government.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to react to a request for comment. According to the Bloomberg story, Beijing has always denied any involvement in hostile cyber operations.