Overseas hacker group hits email system of Chinese university

A Chinese university in Northwest China’s Shaanxi said on Wed its email system had been attacked by an overseas hacker group and it has reported it to the police.

Hackers and criminals from abroad were caught sending phishing emails with Trojan horse programs to teachers and students at the university, attempting to steal their data and personal information, Northwestern Polytechnical University said in a statement on Wednesday.

For a long time, some groups such as the US National Security Agency (NSA) have launched large-scale network attacks around the world for the purpose of intelligence collection, with China being one of the main victims.

In order to further find out the facts about the cyberattack, the university said it had reported the case to the relevant public security organs.

Xi’an-based Northwestern Polytechnical University is known for its studies and research into aviation, aerospace and navigation. It is funded by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The attack has so far not caused any leakage of key data, but it still represents a huge risk, the university said.

The university has been paying great attention to cyberattacks, with the application of regular cyber security inspections and technical monitors, as well as increased sensitivity among teachers and students to cybersecurity, it noted.

The university reserves the right to take legal action, and will take measures to build a strong network security barrier as well as safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of teachers and students, it said.

Over the years, China has been a major victim of cyberattacks. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that China firmly opposes cyberattacks and cyber theft in all forms.

Data obtained by the Global Times from security companies reveals details of at least 40 high-level overseas hacker organizations and more than 2,700 advanced cyberattacks against China in the past few years, aimed at industries, governments, universities, medical institutions, [Sic].

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