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Shenzhen-based public intelligence company Zhenhua Data Technology, affiliated with the Chinese government, has collected personal data on nearly 2.5 million people. foreigners, according to the LRT study.
The Australian cybersecurity company Internet 2.0 has managed to recover around 10 percent. all leaked databases, that is, 250 thousand. surnames. This database contains at least 500 Lithuanian names and personal data. Among them are politicians, journalists, judges, policemen, servants of the Catholic Church.
According to the LRT, most of the information collected on Lithuanians is publicly available on social media, in the media, on the Internet portals of the Central Election Commission, the Seimas and the ministries.
“Scanpix” now / Cyber attack
Influence through family members
Vilnius University, Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU TSPMI), associate professor dr. According to Konstantin Andrijauskas, China’s data collection is related to the country’s tendency to increase its capacity, especially technological, in all possible areas.
“China is currently the only emerging superpower with very little dearth of superpower status. Naturally, its interest in what is happening in the world is much more pronounced,” said the political scientist.
According to Andrijauskas, it is difficult to answer specifically why data collection intensified in 2017-2018, but this may be related to changes in China’s foreign policy, a certain radicalization of diplomacy and a greater willingness to openly and emphatically defend the national interests.
“Perhaps this can also be attributed to the effect of Donald Trump, which has made Americans less inclined to take an interest in world affairs: China has felt a certain need, an opportunity to become more actively involved in them,” he said.
According to Andrijauskas, all the major countries in the world collect intelligence, but Zhenhua Data Technology is a “private” company closely related to China’s defense and intelligence industry.
15min photo / Konstantinas Andrijauskas
In addition, not only publicly available data, such as those available on social media, was collected. The political scientist recalled that it was not possible to recover all the information, so the fragments of data available in some cases seem strange, it is not always clear why one person or another is interested.
“We know that the tech giants we are used to also collect information, mainly related to marketing and commerce. In this particular case, he seems to be trying to find out about very specific people, the companies they represent.
At first glance, this really looks like an attempt to find out who are the key decision makers who can influence matters related to China’s economic and national interests, “Andrijauskas said.
He pointed out that data is also collected on relatives of politicians and public figures.
“The Chinese, as a Confucian culture, understand very well the meaning and importance of family ties. We cannot deny that family contacts in intelligence practice are often influenced by campaigns, ”assured the VU TSPMI speaker.
The LRT writes that among the 498 Lithuanians included in the database, family members of Seimas members, municipal politicians, diplomats and state officials are the most frequently mentioned, not only spouses, but also children, in some cases who they have not yet come of age.
Reuters / Scanpix Photo / Surveillance cameras in China
According to K. Andrijauskas, this data collection is “an easier variant of what has been done in the People’s Republic of China for a long time”: here data is collected on the population throughout its existence, in recent decades it has been they have increasingly used high information technologies for this purpose.
“It was to be expected that the Chinese would try to apply it abroad, only this time not only to people who visit China and have already provided information to obtain a visa, they have provided their biometric data at the Chinese embassy or international airports.
Obviously, a large enough database already exists – anyone filling out documents to get a Chinese visa knows how much information they need. This story shows the transfer of similar principles abroad without even imagining it, ”he said.
According to K. Andrijauskas, the news about the data collection by Zhenhua Data Technology is an important signal not only for security services, but also for the citizens of the country: digital literacy needs to be improved and what information needs to be given to meet on social media.
China was also mentioned in a national security threat assessment released by the Department of National Security (SSD) and the Second Department of Operational Services of the Ministry of National Defense (AOTD) in February.
According to intelligence, China is trying to recruit people through social media, most of the time LinkedIn. This country is also identified as active in cyber spyware.
“5G communication technology may become a new risk factor in Lithuania, as well as around the world,” the report states.
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