Chinese Hackers Scanning Canadian IT Systems for Vulnerabilities

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre), a Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) division, has warned Canadian organizations about an ongoing cyber threat.

The Cyber Centre reports that a sophisticated state-sponsored threat actor from the People’s Republic of China has been conducting extensive reconnaissance scanning on Canadian IT systems over several months.

This activity, while not new, has reached a scale that necessitates heightened awareness and action.

Reconnaissance scanning is a technique used by cyber actors to identify vulnerabilities in IT systems.

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Although it does not indicate an immediate compromise, it often serves as a precursor to more malicious actions.

The process is akin to a burglar surveying a building for weak points before attempting a break-in.

This methodical probing has targeted various Canadian sectors, including government departments, political entities, critical infrastructure, media organizations, and more.

According to the Canadian Government report, throughout 2024, most reconnaissance scans focused on Government of Canada departments and agencies.

Other notable targets include federal political parties, the House of Commons and Senate, democratic institutions, the defense sector, media outlets, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The breadth of these targets underscores the potential risks facing Canadian organizations across multiple sectors.

Organizations must also update their systems with the latest patches to protect against known vulnerabilities. Threat actors seeking easy entry points often exploit unpatched systems.

The Cyber Centre has released a PRC cyber threat bulletin for more detailed information on this threat and how to protect against it.

Additionally, they offer a joint cybersecurity advisory aimed at helping civil society organizations mitigate cyber threats with limited resources. 

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