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What Are the Dangerous Methods Chinese Hackers Use to Spy on Governments?
Understanding Silver Dragon
Silver Dragon is a group of computer spies from China. They attack government offices in Europe and Asia. Security workers at Check Point Research found this group in 2024. These spies want to stay inside computer systems for a long time. They want to read private files quietly instead of stealing money quickly.
How the Spies Break In
The attackers use two main ways to enter computer systems. They act carefully to ensure they get inside without setting off alarms.
- Open Computers: They look for computers connected directly to the internet. If a computer has weak spots, they break through those spots to enter the main system.
- Trick Emails: The spies send fake emails to office workers. These emails look like real government messages. When a worker clicks the attached file, the spy program secretly installs itself.
Hiding in Normal Places
Once inside, Silver Dragon acts like normal computer work. Windows computers run many safe background jobs all the time. The spies stop a real job, like a daily update. Then, they use the exact same name for their bad code. Your system thinks the bad code is a safe update. This trick makes the spies very hard to find.
Getting Orders Through Google Drive
The spies use a special tool called GearDoor. This tool uses Google Drive to send and get messages. Most offices trust Google Drive and let it run freely. The spy program makes a secret folder in the cloud. It downloads instructions that look like normal text files. After stealing your data, it puts the stolen files back into that same Google folder. The bad traffic hides perfectly inside normal office traffic.
Tools for Long-Term Spying
The group builds custom tools to watch workers and steal data over many months.
- SilverScreen: This tool takes pictures of your computer screen. It lets the spies watch exactly what you type and read.
- SSHcmd: This program moves files quickly and quietly across the internet.
- Cobalt Strike: This is a normal safety testing tool. The spies steal it and use it to move deeper into your office computers.
Keeping Your Office Safe
Leaders must look deeply inside their computer systems to stop these spies. You cannot just lock the outside doors of your system. Because spies hide inside trusted programs like Google Drive and Windows updates, you must watch everything. Update your computers often to fix weak spots. Teach your workers to spot fake emails. Use strong safety tools that watch all parts of your system every single day.