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China Rejects Cyberattack Accusation In Costa Rica

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Published on Monday, March 16, 2026.
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica rejected accusations by the Costa Rican government that a cyberattack originating in China breached systems at the state-run Electricity Institute (ICE).

In a statement, the embassy said the Chinese government was “surprised and disappointed” by the allegations of cyber spying and categorically denied the claims.

“The Chinese government firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks and always handles requests from foreign governments for assistance in cybercrime matters in a responsible and timely manner,” the embassy said.

The response came after Paula Bogantes Zamora, minister of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications of Costa Rica, said cybercriminals had allegedly breached ICE systems to steal information and carry out cyberattack operations. According to the minister, the attacks allegedly originated in China.

The ministry said the cyberattack alert was detected and reported in February by Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm owned by Google.

“This company notified the ministry’s cybersecurity center about a security breach in ICE’s data systems carried out by a threat actor with a possible origin in China,” Bogantes said.

After specialists conducted an investigation, authorities confirmed the presence of a cyberattack targeting the telecommunications industry and aimed at cyberespionage, Bogantes added.

Costa Rica has requested support from the United States to coordinate response actions and analyze the incident, according to the minister. The same type of threat has been identified in at least 40 countries, with operations mainly targeting companies in the telecommunications sector.

Authorities said electricity and telecommunications services were not affected by the attack. The ICE is also conducting its own investigation and has filed a formal complaint with the Public Ministry of Costa Rica.

ICE is a state-owned electricity and telecommunications provider that works to improve nationwide access to reliable energy and communications services.

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What steps should Costa Rica take to reduce road fatalities?What have you heard about cyberattacks originating from China in your country? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com