China Warns of Espionage Threat from Old Devices and Idle Servers Amidst Growing Cybersecurity Concerns

Aging technology and unused servers could be repurposed to surveil us, warns China’s leading security organization

As part of an ongoing awareness initiative, Beijing’s Ministry of State Security alerts that foreign entities manipulate obsolete devices to acquire state secrets

In a message shared on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, the Ministry of State Security noted that this strategy has emerged as a popular trend in recent years.

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China carried out the execution of a scientist accused of espionage in 2016, as highlighted in a documentary that unveiled 10 startling cases.

In a separate incident reported, a surveillance camera platform fell victim to a cyberattack. The platform, which had been neglected in terms of maintenance and updates for an extended period, still had the usernames and passwords of numerous users stored on its server. This oversight significantly heightened the risk of data breaches, according to the report.

The department stated that if an intelligence service were to gain control over the system, it could potentially adjust its cameras to clandestinely gather confidential information. Additionally, foreign entities might exploit network connections to access servers and initiate cyber assaults.

The government agency warned that as China upgrades its network infrastructure, the dangers associated with unused equipment are also growing. Departments handling highly confidential information should improve their management of this equipment and enhance staff training to conduct regular inspections and mitigate the risk of information breaches.

Additionally, the Ministry of State Security emphasized the importance of monitoring unused devices within information systems, sealing off inactive ports, and addressing any vulnerabilities to enhance security.