Chinese hackers collected information from power grid near Ladakh: Report

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.

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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.

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• cyber intelligence organisation
• hack
• hackers
• power grid
• Ladakh