Beijing (TDI): The Chinese national security ministry stated on Monday that a Taiwanese hacking group known as Anonymous 64 has been conducting cyber-attacks against targets in Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China.
The government urged internet users to report instances of “anti-propaganda sabotage.”
In a blog post, the ministry stated that Anonymous 64, which it claimed belonged to Taiwan’s cyber warfare wing, had been trying to upload and broadcast “content that denigrates the mainland’s political system and major policies” on websites, outdoor screens, and network TV stations since the beginning of this year.
Taiwan often accuses Chinese organizations of attempting to incite misinformation online or launch cyber-attacks against the democratically elected island nation.
China has asserted its authority over Taiwan during the past five years by increasing political and military pressure.
In an attempt to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and mark the second anniversary of protests against Beijing’s strict COVID curbs. The hacking group’s X account claimed to have been established in June 2023 and displayed screenshots of attempts to broadcast videos likening Chinese President Xi Jinping to an emperor.
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Using the Guy Fawkes mask from the graphic novel and movie V for Vendetta, an Anonymous 64 member addressed the camera in one of the videos.
No information was provided about Anonymous 64’s relationship to the global hacker collective by the X website or the blog post from China’s national security ministry.
The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan did not immediately respond.
The national security ministry said that its investigation into Anonymous 64 had found many of the websites it claimed to have accessed were fake or had little to no traffic.
Its posts showing it having infiltrated numerous university and media websites had been photo-shopped in a blog post published on its official WeChat account, the most popular social media platform in China.
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The security ministry released screenshots, the text of which has been largely censored, of the group’s X account.
It further declared that it has filed a complaint against three members of Taiwan’s cyberwarfare unit.
The blog post stated, “We support the idea that internet users should not believe or propagate rumors and should report cyberattacks or instances of anti-propaganda activity to the national security authorities as soon as possible.”
