For many years, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has engaged in hacking attacks, widespread espionage and the staging of fake “color revolutions” around the world using special technologies, according to a new Chinese report.
The report, published by China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and cybersecurity firm 360, discusses the main technological tools used by the CIA to plan and promote unrest globally. Among other things, it points out that the rapid development of the internet gave the intelligence agency a “new opportunity” to engage in infiltration and subversion in other countries and regions.
According to the report, the CIA has worked in the same way for decades, overthrowing or attempting to overthrow at least 50 legitimate governments around the world, as well as creating widespread unrest in an attempt to bring about regime change. Whether it is the color revolution in Ukraine in 2014 or allegedly popular revolutions in countries such as Taiwan, Myanmar and Iran, it is really US intelligence that is behind it, it is claimed.
Chinese state media reports that US leadership in telecom technology has given the CIA and similar actors unique opportunities to create encrypted networks everywhere and help opposition activists and insurgents avoid being tracked and arrested.
Another approach is to offer offline communication services to anti-government groups to ensure that they can stay in touch with the outside world even when the internet is shut down. For example, Google and Twitter have launched free services where voice messages can be converted into posts and uploaded to the internet at no cost, even if the internet in the country in question is down.
The third way in which the CIA and similar intelligence agencies are described as assisting insurgents is by providing technological equipment and tools to opposition groups for use in demonstrations and protests so that large groups of people can be easily and quickly mobilized at various locations.
The software “Riot” has also been developed by the US and “supports 100 percent independent broadband network, provides variable WiFi network, does not rely on any traditional physical access method”. It also does not require a telephone, cable or satellite connection to operate and, according to the report, can “easily evade any form of government surveillance”.
Millions of dollars have also been spent on developing and researching information systems whose purpose is supposedly to counter censorship, but whose real motive is believed to be to support opposition and anti-government groups around the world in various ways.
Constant monitoring
Furthermore, China’s National Computer Virus Defense Center and the security firm 360 have noted several cases of Trojans and similar malware that can be linked to the CIA in cyber attacks against Chinese targets.
In addition to the aforementioned methods of creating unrest in other countries, cyber attacks are a frequent method allegedly used by the CIA, which also uses specific digital tools to “steal” sensitive information.
“The initial attack of the CIA cyberattack operation will generally be carried out against the victim’s network equipment or server. After obtaining the target purview, it will further explore the network topology of the target organization and move to other networked devices in the internal network to steal more sensitive information and data”, notes the Global Times.
“The controlled target computer is monitored in real time for 24 hours, and all information will be recorded. Once a USB device is connected, the private files in the victim’s USB device will be monitored and automatically stolen. When conditions permit, the camera, microphone and GPS positioning device on the user terminal will be remotely controlled and accessed”, it also reads.
“These CIA cyber weapons use standardized espionage technical specifications, and various attack methods echo and interlock and have now covered almost all internet and IoT assets worldwide, and can control other countries’ networks anytime, anywhere to steal important and sensitive data”.
China’s foreign policy spokesperson Mao Ning, who drew attention to the report, pointed out that US cyber attacks and espionage against other countries “deserve high vigilance from the international community” and called for the US to cease such activities.
