Czech Republic says China behind cyberattack on ministry, embassy rejects accusations | Reuters
he Czech Republic on Wednesday accused China of being responsible for a "malicious cyber campaign" targeting a network used for unclassified communication at its Foreign Affairs ministry, but China rejected the accusations. China's embassy in Prague called on the Czech side to end its "microphone diplomacy". The attacks started during the country's 2022 EU presidency and were perpetrated by the cyber espionage group APT31, the Czech government said in a statement. The Czech Republic, an EU state and NATO member, said APT31 was publicly associated with the Chinese Ministry of State Security. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that after the attack was detected, the ministry implemented a new communications system with enhanced security in 2024. "I summoned the Chinese ambassador to make clear that such hostile actions have serious consequences for our bilateral relations," he said. Lipavsky said the attacks centered on email and other documents and focused on information concerning Asia. "The Government of the Czech Republic strongly condemns this malicious cyber campaign against its critical infrastructure," the government said in its statement. China's embassy in the Czech Republic expressed "strong concern and decisive disagreement" with the Czech accusations.
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