Cyberattacks fly both ways

Hi all, this is Sarah in Hong Kong. China wants you to know that it’s being spied on, too. But first...Today’s must-reads:• China will try t [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi all, this is Sarah in Hong Kong. China wants you to know that it’s being spied on, too. But first... Today’s must-reads: • China will try to [innovate its way out]( from under US sanctions • Forever 21 is [going upmarket]( in Japan • South Korea’s [exports]( are far from recovery Everyone’s doing it Tired of headlines fixated on Chinese hackers, China’s own cyber firms are increasingly reminding the rest of the world that there are also attacks coming from the West. The latest allegations come from [Pangu Lab](, a Chinese cybersecurity outfit that’s earned respect among industry peers by identifying vulnerabilities in Apple Inc. devices. It’s now also identified a politically motivated group targeting China, its researchers say, with hackers from North America and Europe. Pangu, part of the larger cybersec firm Qi An Xin, published its findings last weekend. The report says AgainstTheWest — a group taking aim at countries it considers threats to Europe and the US — published sensitive Chinese information and databases more than 70 times since 2021, including stealing data from around 300 information systems. That’s included stuff from China’s culture and tourism ministry, the Hainan provincial government and China Southern Airlines. The group’s posts, according to Pangu, have been clearly political in nature. There have been expressions of support for the independence of Taiwan and Hong Kong and concern about human rights issues in Xinjiang — pretty much crossing all of Beijing’s “red lines.” But it’s not the details outlined in the report that are the most interesting, including snide comments that the Western hackers had exaggerated the kind of Chinese data they were able to steal. The key is that it’s all part of China’s growing attempts to take control of the narrative on cyberattacks by pointing the finger in the other direction. As Pangu has done in the past, it “exclusively” shares its research reports first with the Global Times, the stridently patriotic state-owned Chinese media outlet. The English-language paper then dives into all the technical details of the attacks against Chinese targets. The first time the lab did this was in February last year, when it published [findings]( alleging US-sponsored hacking on Chinese soil that had been discovered in 2013 and 2015. I don’t doubt that internet spying and snooping is a common tool of modern statecraft. Edward Snowden told us as much with his revelations about cyberespionage by the US and its allies. What’s new is the way Beijing is publicizing that. In diplomacy, China had its “wolf warriors” flinging human rights accusations back at the US. In trade, it returned fire against US tariffs with its own retaliatory levies. And now in the cyber realm, it’s getting vocal about the occasions when it too is the victim.—[Sarah Zheng](mailto:szheng244@bloomberg.net) The big story Some data centers in Asia have been compromised by hackers, and the [potential fallout]( is unclear and unsettling. Get fully charged Read our interview with the CEO of Hybe, the BTS label in the middle of K-Pop’s [biggest corporate drama](. Generative AI will be [existentially important]( to all firms, one VC says. Hong Kong’s crypto ambitions are getting a quiet [nod of support]( from Beijing. More from Bloomberg Listen: [Foundering: The John McAfee Story]( is a new six-part podcast series retracing the life, the myths and the self-destruction of a Silicon Valley icon. Subscribe for free on [Apple](, [Spotify]( or wherever you get your podcasts. Live event: Join us in a US city near you for Bloomberg’s Intelligent Automation briefing about transformation in a time of uncertainty. Roadshow cities include: Atlanta, Feb. 28; Chicago, April 13; New York, May 4; San Francisco, June 20; London, Sept. 20; and Toronto, Oct. 19. [Register here](. Get Bloomberg Tech weeklies in your inbox: - [Power On]( for Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more - [Cyber Bulletin]( for coverage of the shadow world of hackers and cyber-espionage - [Soundbite]( for reporting on podcasting, the music industry and audio trends - [Game On]( for reporting on the video game business - [Screentime]( for a front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Tech Daily newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](