A Timely Leak Offers a Peek Into Chinese Cyberespionage Worldwide

Earlier this month, we looked at the way that Chinese hackers infiltrate critical infrastructures in the U.S. They can preposition code to disable systems such as clean water supply and electrical power grid on command. Because current targets are, among other things, near military bases, intelligence agencies believe that the hacks anticipate a conflict in the South China Sea over Taiwan.

Since 2010, China has scaled up cyberespionage and cybertheft to such an extent that at a recent meeting, FBI Chief Christopher Wray said that China’s state-backed hackers outnumber U.S. cyber intelligence personnel 50-to-1.

At first, the hackers seem like a daunting challenge. But a recent trove of leaked documents shows that China’s hacking community is not as monolithic and organized as it appears. The Chinese Communist Party likes to boast of its technological prowess — including world-class “patriotic hackers.” But behind the scenes lie sloppy security practices, disgruntled employees, and top-down corruption.