East Asia threat actors employ unique methods
Contents
Same targets, new playbooks: East Asia threat actors employ unique methods
Introduction
Microsoft has observed several notable cyber and influence trends from China and North Korea since June 2023 that demonstrate not only doubling down on familiar targets, but also attempts to use more sophisticated influence techniques to achieve their goals.
Chinese cyber actors broadly selected three target areas over the last seven months:
- One set of Chinese actors extensively targeted entities across the South Pacific Islands.
- A second set of Chinese activity continued a streak of cyberattacks against regional adversaries in the South China Sea region.
- Meanwhile, a third set of Chinese actors compromised the US defense industrial base.
Chinese influence actors—rather than broadening the geographic scope of their targets—honed their techniques and experimented with new media. Chinese influence campaigns continued to refine AI-generated or AI-enhanced content. The influence actors behind these campaigns have shown a willingness to both amplify AI-generated media that …
Introduction
Microsoft has observed several notable cyber and influence trends from China and North Korea since June 2023 that demonstrate not only doubling down on familiar targets, but also attempts to use more sophisticated influence techniques to achieve their goals.
Chinese cyber actors broadly selected three target areas over the last seven months:
- One set of Chinese actors extensively targeted entities across the South Pacific Islands.
- A second set of Chinese activity continued a streak of cyberattacks against regional adversaries in the South China Sea region.
- Meanwhile, a third set of Chinese actors compromised the US defense industrial base.
Chinese influence actors—rather than broadening the geographic scope of their targets—honed their techniques and experimented with new media. Chinese influence campaigns continued to refine AI-generated or AI-enhanced content. The influence actors behind these campaigns have shown a willingness to both amplify AI-generated media that …