New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters says alleged cyber attack is 'unacceptable'
New Zealand has accused Chinese government-backed hackers of infiltrating parliament, joining the United States and Britain in accusing Beijing of malicious cyber activity.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday that the cyberattack was “unacceptable” and that his country's concerns had been conveyed directly to the Chinese government.
“This type of foreign interference is unacceptable and we have called on China to refrain from such activities in the future. I will continue to speak out,” Peters said.
Mr Peters spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week and said New Zealand and China shared an “important and complex relationship”.
“We are cooperating with China in some areas for mutual benefit,” he said. “At the same time, we have consistently made it clear that we will speak out on issues of concern.”
The New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) earlier announced that the National Cyber Security Center discovered that a state-sponsored hacker group known as APT40 infiltrated computers connected to Parliament's network in 2021. .
GCSB Executive Director Andrew Clark said in a statement: “The NCSC will provide victim organizations with extensive support to mitigate the impact of the breach, and will also provide support to other organizations potentially at risk. “I provided advice.”
“After analyzing the tactics and techniques used by this actor, we are able to confidently link this actor to the People's Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored group known as APT40. , enriched by analysis from international partners who have conducted similar events in their respective jurisdictions.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in New Zealand said the allegations were “baseless and irresponsible”.
“We have never interfered in the internal affairs of any other country, including New Zealand, and we have no intention of doing so in the future. Accusing China of foreign interference is completely barking up the wrong tree,” the spokesperson said. Stated.
New Zealand's claims come after the United States and Britain announced sanctions on Monday against a Chinese company and two individuals accused of orchestrating a cyber-espionage campaign targeting millions of people, including lawmakers, constituents and prominent critics of China. This was done in response to this.
British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said cyberattacks in 2021 and 2022 targeted British parliamentary accounts, including those of the Electoral Commission and three MPs who are members of the Parliamentary Alliance on China.
New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins, who heads the GCSB, said her country joins international partners in condemning China's state-sponsored malicious cyber activity.
“This collective response from the international community is a timely reminder to all organizations and individuals to take strong cybersecurity measures,” Collins said.
