Chinese Hacks Show that Cybersecurity is Not Just About Academics

TheUniversity of Hawaii is one of more than two dozen universities around the globe that have been targeted by Chinese hackers.

Key Details

• TheUniversity of Hawaii, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of Washington, and Penn State are among the U.S. targets, as well as South Korea’s Sahmyook , the Wall  Street Journal reported, citing research by iDefense, a cybersecurity defense unit of Accenture Security.

• The coordinated hacking attempts focused on uncovering maritime technology research being developed for military use, and date back to April 2017.

• iDefense reports the hackers are likely affiliated with a group known as MUDCARP, also referred to as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40), TEMP.PERISCOPE, Periscope, and Leviathan.

• The alleged culprit APT 40 is believed to be state-sponsored and operates “in support of China’s naval modernization effort” (Fireeye).

• The threat actors are believed to have used phishing tactics to compromise university networks by posing as partner universities and institutions.

• The 27 targeted Universities have researchers working on submarine technology or related fields, including oceanography.

of Hawaii

• TheUniversity of Hawaii’s Applied Research Lab (ARL) was established in 2008 and is one of 13 of its kind affiliated with the Department of Defense (Hawaii News Now).

•  The Applied Research Lab “serves as a research center of excellence for critical Navy and national defense, science, technology and engineering with a focus in naval missions and related areas” ( of Hawaii).

• Is currently “developing hyperspectral imaging systems to detect the chemical composition of unseen objects, studying natural and man-made impacts on littoral anti-submarine warfare, and have developed advance optics and sensor applications used in satellite tracking” (Star Advertiser).

• “As a designated Navy sponsored research laboratory administered by theUniversity of Hawaii System”, conducts “strategic research for the Navy, the Department of Defense and other government agencies in the areas of Astronomy, Ocean Science, Remote Sensing, Electro Optics, and Engineering Support to Sensors, Communications, and Information Technology” ( of Hawaii).

Significance

The cyberattacks on universities shows the value and importance of data protection. Universities need to address security objectives and reevaluate their security measures and practices put in place. The universities targeted shared a common interest in research on underwater warfare and technology. Being that this information was being shared with other researchers and military contractors the data should have been monitored closely and stored on a government server. We can expect more Chinese cyberattacks that will target non-government entities in order to gain leverage on the military’s future activities. This comes at a sensitive time when the United States is weighing national security concerns against Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE.

Sources

ZDNet. Chinese hackers strike US universities in bid for military technology 6 March 2019

Star Advertiser. of Hawaii among dozens of schools targeted by Chinese hackers 5 March 2019

Fireeye. APT40: Examining a China-Nexus Espionage Actor 4 March 2019

The Wall Street Journal. Chinese Hackers Target Universities in Pursuit of Maritime Military Secrets 5 March 2019

of Hawaii. Applied Research Laboratory at the of Hawaii 2019