Japan links Chinese hackers MirrorFace to dozens of cyber attacks
8 January 2025, 12:14
The breaches targeted security and tech data at bodies including the Japanese foreign and defence ministries.
Japanese authorities have linked more than 200 cyber attacks over the past five years targeting the country’s national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace.
The National Police Agency detailed the group’s tactics and called on government agencies and businesses to reinforce protective measures.
The NPA said its analysis on the targets, methods and infrastructure of the cyber attacks by MirrorFace from 2019 to 2024 concluded they were systematic attacks linked to China with an aim of stealing data on Japanese national security and advanced technology.
The targets of the Chinese government-led cyber attacks included Japan’s foreign and defence ministries, the country’s space agency and individuals including politicians, journalists, private companies and think tanks related to advanced technology, the NPA said.
Experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the vulnerability of Japan’s cybersecurity, especially as the country steps up its defence capabilities and works more closely with the United States and other partners to strengthen defences.
Japan has taken steps, but experts say more work is needed.
MirrorFace sent emails with attachments containing malware to targeted organisations and individuals to view data saved on computers mainly from December 2019 to July 2023, often from Gmail and Microsoft Outlook addresses using stolen identities, the NPA investigation found.
The emails typically used as subjects key words such as “Japan-US alliance”, “Taiwan Strait”, “Russia-Ukraine war” and “free and open Indo-Pacific”, and included an invitation for a study panel, references and a list of panellists, the NPA said.
In another tactic, the hackers targeted Japanese organizations in areas of aerospace, semiconductors, information and communications from February to October 2023 by exploiting vulnerabilities in virtual private networks to gain unauthorised access to information.
The attacks included one on the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency, or JAXA, which acknowledged in June it had suffered a series of cyber attacks since 2023, though sensitive information related to rockets, satellites and defence was not affected.
It is investigating to take preventative measures.
Last year, a cyber attack paralysed operations at a container terminal at a port in the city of Nagoya for three days.
More recently, Japan Airlines was hit by a cyber attack on Christmas, causing delays and cancellations to more than 20 domestic flights, though the carrier was able to stop the onslaught and restore its systems hours later and there was no impact on flight safety.
