A US-based cyber security group claimed that Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeted Indian electricity distribution centres near Ladakh over the last eight months. The Central government of India however said that those attacks were unsuccessful.
The intelligence firm Recorded Future said on Wednesday, “In recent months, we observed likely network intrusions targeting at least seven Indian State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) responsible for carrying out real-time operations for grid control and electricity dispatch within these respective states. Notably, this targeting has been geographically concentrated, with the identified SLDCs located in North India, in proximity to the disputed India-China border in Ladakh.”
“In addition to the targeting of power grid assets, we also identified the compromise of a national emergency response system and the Indian subsidiary of a multinational logistics company by the same threat activity group,” Recorded Future said.
According to the world’s largest intelligence firm, the Chinese attackers were in a bid to obtain information surrounding critical infrastructure systems.
”Given the continued targeting of State and Regional Load Despatch Centres in India over the past 18 months, first from RedEcho and now in this latest TAG-38 activity, this targeting is likely a long-term strategic priority for select Chinese state-sponsored threat actors active within India,” it said.
”The prolonged targeting of Indian power grid assets by Chinese state-linked groups offers limited economic espionage or traditional intelligence-gathering opportunities. We believe this targeting is instead likely intended to enable information gathering surrounding critical infrastructure systems or is pre-positioning for future activity,” it added.
”Recorded Future continues to track Chinese state-sponsored activity groups targeting a wide variety of sectors globally… However, the coordinated effort to target Indian power grid assets in recent years is notably distinct from our perspective and, given the continued heightened tension and border disputes between the two countries, we believe is a cause for concern,” it said.
“Two attempts by Chinese hackers were made to target electricity distribution centres near Ladakh but were not successful… We’ve already strengthened our defence system to counter such cyber attacks,” Power Minister RK Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Tensions between India and China flared in 2020 after a violent clash in the Galwan valley, in the northern region of Ladakh.
