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China-based hackers infiltrated Costa Rica's cybersecurity, authorities said



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Published on Wednesday, December 18, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff




Hackers believed to be based in China infiltrated Costa Rican telecommunications and technology systems, according to the Costa Rican and U.S. governments.


In a brief joint statement by the Costa Rican and United States governments, officials stated that U.S. cybersecurity experts working with Costa Rica recently completed a diagnosis of technical systems to improve the country's cybersecurity.


The findings of these cybersecurity reviews indicated that "a cybercriminal group based in China infiltrated Costa Rica's telecommunications and technology systems,"  authorities noted.


"The United States reaffirms its commitment to supporting Costa Rica in its fight against these threats and the defense of its sovereignty," the U.S. Embassy added in its statement.


In response the Chinese government, through its embassy in Costa Rica stated that it firmly opposes "the U.S. smear campaign against China's image and its interference in China-Costa Rica relations to serve its own purposes."


Earlier this month, two governmental organizations, the Costa Rica Oil Company (Recope) and the General Directorate of Migration, disclosed that hackers broke their cybersecurity systems.






 


Last week, Costa Rica initiated a fraud criminal prosecution against the Chinese company Huawei and its Costa Rican representative, a male surnamed Peng, among other top executives, for alleged fraud agreements.



In 2022, a ransomware assault affected approximately 30 government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science, the National Meteorological Institute, state internet service provider RACSA, the Social Security and the Ministry of Labor, among many others.



That year, Costa Rica stated that the pro-Russian Conti Group claimed responsibility for those cyber attacks and sought a $10 million ransom in return for refusing to release the stolen sensitive information.



The government did not pay the hackers and instead invested more than $25 million in strengthening its cyber security measures.



That year, the U.S. Department of State was offering a reward for information leading to the identification and/or location of any individual(s) who hold a key leadership position in the Conti ransomware variant transnational organized crime group.



 

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What have you heard about China-based hackers targeting government institutions in your country? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com



  


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