New Report Reveals Rise in Indian Cyberattacks on Pakistan & China

Cyberattacks have surged in recent times, involving both state and non-state actors. In this regard, a new report revealed that Chinese cybersecurity firms have conducted research recently in which they highlighted a range of cyberattacks from India to countries such as China and Pakistan. China allegedly intercepted a cyberattack by a group of Indian hackers in December against the country’s military.

As per the report, there were clear similarities between this attack and previous ones in terms of targets and techniques. It indicated that the same organization may have been involved in all of the phishing attempts. The organization has been labeled as the advanced persistent threat (APT) and has been operating since 2013.

It was given the name “Manlinghua” by the Chinese company Qihoo 360, and the American security firm Forcepoint named it “Bitter,” when it was first identified back in 2016.

Since then, as Bitter’s operations became more prominent, it has been found that the group’s activities are focused around China and Pakistan. Reportedly, the firm focuses on the military, nuclear sectors, and government entities and makes use of two primary attack strategies: spearfishing and watering hole attacks.

Besides, Bitter is said to be linked with various other groups that are said to be Indian, including Patchwork, SideWinder, and Donot, among others.

The report stated that “contrary to the popular belief that China’s cyber threats mainly come from the United States, professionals in the field point out that a significant number of attacks originate from South Asian countries.”