Hackers linked to China broke into the network of a regional group based in Suva, Fiji, the US Embassy in Fiji said on Monday. They stayed inside for several days in July and August.
The embassy, which also covers Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu, did not name the group. Nor did it say what data the hackers may have seen.
US officials warned the Fijian government and the group about the suspected breach. They also gave them advice on how to secure their networks.
The embassy said the case was part of a wider trend. Hackers tied to the Chinese state are going after governments, international bodies, and telecoms networks across the Pacific Islands, it said in a second post.
Stolen data gives Chinese spy agencies and others a view into private talks between Pacific Island countries, the embassy added. It said this fits the US view that China is a constant threat online.
The statement also raised concerns about crime, corruption, and foreign influence in the region, according to the Pacific Islands News Association. In addition, the US and Palau will co-chair a new meeting of Pacific police ministers. It will cover sea security, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and illegal finance.
“When the United States works with sovereign nations to protect fish stocks, train law enforcement, or build infrastructure, we do so as true partners,” said Christopher Landau, the US deputy secretary of state.
The warning follows other recent cases linked to China. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department seized seven web domains it said were used to scan and attack key infrastructure, Reuters reported.
Separately, security firm Proofpoint said a China-aligned group had posed as US AI experts to trick policy researchers into giving up their passwords. In June, a China-linked botnet was found to have taken over 1,500 routers and devices.
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