China behind 58% of state-backed cyberattacks targeting US AI tech, CrowdStrike warns

Beijing escalating AI espionage to catch up with the U.S. on tech, cybersecurity firm says

China's cybersecurity regulator did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S.-based cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike warned Tuesday of increasing cyberattacks from China-based entities aimed at stealing artificial intelligence to narrow the tech gap with the U.S. The Chinese entities accounted for more than 58% of state-sponsored targeted cyberattacks aimed at tech companies, especially their AI assets, CrowdStrike said in a report. "China-nexus adversaries are escalating espionage against technology organizations to steal the AI capabilities and intellectual property they cannot build fast enough on their own," CrowdStrike said in a statement. The analysis covered events over the 12 months to March 31. U.S. restrictions on China's access to AI training chips have restricted Beijing's tech development, although homegrown AI models have sought to slash operating costs while offering nearly similar intelligence. Chinese-affiliated cyberattacks targeted government communications in Southeast Asia and "maintained persistent access" to North American tech organizations by taking advantage of vulnerabilities, CrowdStrike said. The Cyberspace Administration of China did not immediately respond to CNBC's faxed request for comment. Earlier this year, U.S. AI giants Anthropic and OpenAI complained that Chinese companies extracted competitive intelligence from the American tech companies. Analysts at the time cautioned that the boundaries of illicit behavior could be blurry. Over the last several weeks, Anthropic has touted the cyber capabilities of its newest Mythos model and rolled out the tech to CrowdStrike and other companies. Anthropic on Tuesday released a public version of the model, called Claude Fable 5, which rankings firm Artificial Analysis said is "nearly 5 points ahead of any other lab's best model." CrowdStrike said it also found North Korea-affiliated entities tried to infiltrate IT workforces across North America, Europe and Asia, primarily to generate revenue for the regime.

CrowdStrike Warns China Is Behind 58% Of State-Backed Cyber Attacks As Chinese and North Korean Hackers H

A report by CrowdStrike, released on Tuesday, revealed that over 58% of state-sponsored cyberattacks on tech companies, particularly those possessing AI assets, are emanating from China. The cybersecurity firm noted, "China-nexus adversaries are escalating espionage against technology organizations to steal the AI capabilities and intellectual property they cannot build fast enough on their own." The report, encompassing events until March 31, suggested that U.S. restrictions on China's access to AI training chips have impeded Beijing's tech advancement. However, China has been formulating its own AI models to cut operating costs and provide nearly equivalent intelligence. According to CrowdStrike, China-linked cyber groups continued targeting the technology sector, with SUNRISE PANDA focusing on East and Southeast Asian tech firms, MURKY PANDA launching password-spraying attacks against hundreds of mostly U.S.-based organizations, and WARP PANDA repeatedly exploiting vulnerabilities at North American tech companies to maintain long-term access. CrowdStrike said the groups' activities appear aimed at acquiring technology, intellectual property, and other information that supports the Chinese Communist Party's intelligence-gathering objectives. The firm also identified efforts by North Korea-linked actors to infiltrate IT workforces across North America, Europe, and Asia, largely to generate income for the regime. China, North Korea Draw Scrutiny Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

Chinese hackers pose biggest espionage threat to tech firms, CrowdStrike says

June 9 (Reuters) - China-linked hackers posed the biggest espionage threat to technology companies over the past year, CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, said in a report published on Tuesday, amid surging investment in artificial intelligence. The hacking campaigns align with the Chinese government's strategic priorities and a sustained interest in technology development, intellectual property, and information with strategic and economic value, the firm said. The technology sector was once again the most targeted industry by both foreign governments and cybercriminals, the report found. It focused on threats to companies that research, develop or distribute computer hardware and technology, IT services and consulting, semiconductors, and software overall. CrowdStrike did not identify specific targeted companies. The Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed the report. The findings, which span April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, come amid frenzied valuations and investments in technology firms in and around the artificial intelligence space, which are among the high-value targets, said Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike's senior vice president, head of counter adversary operations. On April 23, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy accused China-based entities of "deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns" to surreptitiously distill U.S.-developed models for their own purposes, highlighting one recent example. "There is an AI arms race occurring between the U.S. and China, and China intends to achieve global dominance by 2030," Meyers said, noting the threat to major frontier labs along with smaller, domain-specific model developers. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said "China opposes hacking activities and fights such activities in accordance with the law," and that it rejects "vilification and smears under the pretext of cybersecurity." The spokesperson added that China and the U.S. need to work together on AI development and governance, and that during Trump's recent visit "the two heads of state had constructive exchanges on AI and agreed to launch government-to-government dialogue on AI." North Korean hacking campaigns "posed a major threat," the report said, particularly through a scheme in which North Korean operatives use fake identities to secure remote IT jobs at technology companies. The workers' salaries are largely funneled back to the Pyongyang government, and their positions inside the companies provide footholds for intelligence collection. Russian and Iran-linked hacking groups also heavily target the U.S. and other nations' technology sectors for intelligence collection and, at times, destructive malware attacks. The report also highlighted an increase in hacking activity from financially motivated cybercriminal groups targeting technology firms over the same time period, including a 30% increase in advertisements from hackers selling access to various targets. (Reporting by AJ Vicens in Detroit; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)