Chinese hackers have targeted Japanese defense companies, possibly to get information about Tokyo's policy toward resolving the North Korean nuclear impasse, according to cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc.
The attacks are suspected by the firm to have been carried out by a group known as APT10, a China-based espionage group that FireEye has been tracking since 2009. Apparently, one of the lures used in a "spear-phishing" email attack was a defense lecture given by former head of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura. Two attacks are said to have taken place between September and October last year.
"Lure content related to the defense industry suggests that a possible motive behind the intrusion attempt is gaining insider information on policy prescription to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue," said Bryce Boland, chief technology officer for the Asia-Pacific region at FireEye.