Summary:
The Czech cybersecurity agency NUKIB issued a warning highlighting the risks posed by Chinese-linked cyber activity, particularly from the espionage group APT31. According to the agency, Chinese state-backed groups have targeted critical infrastructure with operations designed to collect intelligence and potentially enable disruption. NUKIB also cautioned about the use of network devices and technologies from Chinese vendors, stressing that these could be exploited for espionage purposes. The agency emphasized that these risks should not be ignored, especially given the geopolitical tensions and the increasing reliance on digital systems in national infrastructure.

Security Officer Comments:
This warning serves to show just how much Chinese espionage continues to bother European governments as a top cybersecurity threat. The actual naming of APT31 addresses how the group continues to target government, defense, and telecommunication industries all over the world. Naming particular vendors and technical threats, NUKIB appears to be calling for open and private sectors to reconsider procurement and risk management methods. It also reflects a growing convergence between EU member countries and more universal Western concerns for dependence on Chinese technology in sensitive areas.

Suggested Corrections:

• Organizations should review their vendor risk management processes and carefully evaluate the use of foreign-sourced technologies in critical networks.
• Apply strict monitoring and logging to detect suspicious traffic patterns that could indicate APT activity.
• Ensure that infrastructure supporting critical operations is segmented, patched regularly, and hardened against known attack vectors.
• Stay aligned with government advisories, including those from NUKIB, ENISA, and CISA, for updates on threat actor behaviors and indicators of compromise.

Link(s):
https://securityaffairs.com/181976/...pionage-risks-to-critical-infrastructure.html

https://nukib.gov.cz/cs/infoservis/...nu-vzdalene-spravy-z-cinske-lidove-republiky/