Chinese hackers responsible for attack on Australian parliament: report

Australia’s cyber intelligence agency has found that China was behind a cyberattack on the country’s parliament and three largest political parties prior to the general election this year, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: In February, Australia revealed that hackers had broken into the network of its national parliament, saying it believed the breach was the work of a foreign government.

• The Australian government has taken measure to limit Chinese influence in the country, outlawing overseas political donations and effectively banning telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G rollout.

Details: Intelligence agency the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) concluded in March that China’s Ministry of State Security was behind the attack, sources told Reuters.

• The ASD’s report recommended that the results of the investigation remain unpublished to avoid souring trade relations with China.
• Australian officials believed that publicly accusing China of the attack could damage Australia’s economy.
• The Australian government has still not disclosed who it believes to be behind the attack.
• The hackers also attacked the networks of the ruling Liberal party, its coalition partner Nationals, and the Labor party.
• The hackers gained access to policy papers on topics including foreign policy and tax, as well as emails sent between lawmakers.

The attacker used code known to have been previously employed by China, the sources said.

Context: The attack earlier this year had lawmakers worried, and members of parliament were urged to take precautionary measures including changing their passwords.

• China’s state-sponsored hackers are not only using their skills for espionage but are also moonlighting for profit, according to cybersecurity research firm FireEye.
• These groups have also targeted overseas medical research and data, as lucrative opportunities for homegrown oncology companies grow.