China-linked actors using job sites to target government workers, Five Eyes warns

Per HackRead, Western intelligence agencies, including the Five Eyes alliance, have issued a joint warning about the increasing use of professional networking and job search websites by China-linked state actors to gather sensitive information from government employees and military personnel.

The intelligence agencies, comprising the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, detailed a sophisticated espionage campaign. Threat actors create fake profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork, posing as recruiters or consultants. They post advertisements for roles such as defense or foreign policy analysts. Applicants are then vetted through online interviews, with spies concealing their true identities. Selected candidates are asked to complete test reports on sensitive topics, and the conversation is moved to encrypted messaging apps. The actors pressure applicants to divulge non-public information, even seemingly minor details that can be pieced together to aid Chinese intelligence. Payments ranging from several hundred to thousands of dollars are made via PayPal, Wise, or cryptocurrency.

Targets include individuals with security clearances, particularly in the military and Indo-Pacific region, but also academics, journalists, and writers connected to government or trade sectors. This tactic has been observed previously, with reports of Chinese agents using similar methods to target politicians and individuals in the UK. The UK government has stated it will confront these hostile actions while maintaining political dialogue with China, emphasizing that sharing classified information can lead to imprisonment under espionage laws.

Source: HackRead