The Ministry of National Defense today denied claims by China’s security agency that it was behind a hacker group that has been carrying out cyberattacks against Chinese targets.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security earlier today in a post on WeChat said that the hacker group “Anonymous 64” has since early this year sought to upload and broadcast "content that denigrates the mainland's political system and major policies" on Web sites, outdoor screens and TV stations.
It claimed that the Taiwanese military’s cyberwarfare command was behind the group, and said it had opened investigations into three members of the military wing.
Photo: Reuters
The post included their photographs and names.
"We advocate that netizens should not believe in or spread rumors and should promptly report cyberattacks or cases of anti-propaganda activity to the national security authorities," the Chinese ministry said.
The Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM) in a statement denied the claims and said it is China that is undermining regional stability.
The unit is tasked with maintaining the military’s online networks and communication, it said.
It is rather the Chinese military “and forces that coordinate with it that continue to use aircraft, ships and cyberattacks to harass Taiwan and are the originators of undermining regional peace," it added.
ICEFCOM was formed in July 2017 to integrate the information, communications and electronic capabilities of the military’s three branches.
It is also tasked with responding to threats from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Cyberspace Force.
Anonymous 64’s X account said it was set up in June last year and showed screenshots of efforts to broadcast videos likening Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to an emperor, marking the second anniversary of protests against Beijing's strict COVID-19 curbs and commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations.
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