US Research: China-Linked Hackers Are the Biggest Cybersecurity Threat to Tech Amid AI Boom

(CNA, San Francisco, June 9, Comprehensive Foreign Report) US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike released a report today stating that as investment in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector surges, the greatest espionage threat faced by tech companies in the past year has come from hackers affiliated with China.

According to Reuters, CrowdStrike stated that such large-scale hacking operations are consistent with the strategic priorities of the Chinese government and its continued interest in technological development, intellectual property, and information of strategic and economic value.

The report focuses on the cybersecurity threats faced by companies that research, manufacture, or sell computer hardware and technology, with products including IT services and consulting, semiconductors, and various software.

CrowdStrike did not specify which companies were targeted but stated that the tech industry has once again become a primary target for foreign governments and cybercriminals.

Adam Meyers, senior vice president of counter adversary operations at CrowdStrike, said that AI-related technology companies are among the high-value targets for hackers, and the market capitalization and investment in these companies are currently in a state of frenzy.

He analyzed that the United States and China are in an AI arms race, and China intends to achieve a globally dominant position by 2030 at the latest. He also noted that not only major cutting-edge labs but also smaller, specialized model developers are under threat from hacker attacks.

The Chinese embassy in the United States denied the report's contents. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington stated: "China opposes hacking and cracks down on related activities in accordance with the law." The spokesperson also objected to "slander and discredit under the banner of cybersecurity."

Furthermore, CrowdStrike's report mentioned that North Korea's hacking activities "constitute a significant threat," especially through North Korean agents with fraudulent identities obtaining remote IT jobs at tech companies. Most of their income is remitted to the North Korean government, and their positions serve as bases for intelligence gathering.

Additionally, hacker groups affiliated with Russia or Iran have also conducted a large number of attacks on the tech industry in the United States and some other countries, with the purpose of collecting intelligence and occasionally launching destructive malware attacks. (Compiler: Chang Cheng-chien) 1150609