Google says China-linked cyber operations targeted Southeast Asia diplomats

Hong Kong —

Diplomats in Southeast Asia were among global entities targeted by a China-linked cyber espionage group earlier this year, Google has announced, adding the group “likely aligned with the strategic interests” of the Chinese government.

Google Threat Intelligence Group found that the campaign in March hijacked target web traffic, downloaded malware, and ultimately deployed a backdoor, it said in a Tuesday blog post detailing the findings.

Google said it sent alerts to all users impacted by this campaign. The scope of impact and which Southeast Asian countries were targeted were not disclosed in the post. CNN has reached out to Google for further details.

Asked about the Google findings on Tuesday, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said it was unaware of the spec