TOKYO (AP) – Tokyo police are investigating cyberattacks on about 200 Japanese companies and research organizations, including the country’s space agency, by a burglary group suspected of being linked to the Chinese military, the government said on Tuesday.
Police have sent the case regarding attacks on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to prosecutors for further investigation, General Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters.
Police believe a series of hacks by JAXA were carried out in 2016-2017 by ‘Tick’, a Chinese cyber attack group led by a unit of the People’s Liberation Army, Kato said.
A suspect in the JAXA case, a Chinese systems engineer based in Japan, allegedly gained access to a rental server by registering himself under a false identity to launch the cyber attacks, Kato said, referring to the police investigation.
NHK’s public television said another Chinese citizen with alleged ties to the PLA unit who was an exchange student in Japan was also being investigated in the case. Both men have since left the country, he said.
Police are investigating the attackers’ intentions and methods, while also pursuing numerous other cyber-attacks that they suspect are linked to China’s military, Kato said.
“The involvement of China’s People’s Liberation Army is highly likely,” Kato said. He added that so far no real data leak or damage has been found, but police are appealing to the companies to step up their protection.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, cyber attacks are part of growing security threats from China as they become more assertive in the region – a shared concern raised during the April 16 White House talks between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga discussed.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said cyberattacks were a common challenge facing all countries and warned Japan to falsely accuse China.
“Groundless speculation must not be allowed. “China is definitely opposed to any country or institution using cyber attacks to throw mud at China or to serve the despicable political purposes with cyber security issues,” he said. “China is ready to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with all parties to address common threats to cyber security.”
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AP business writer Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.