Photo/Illutration The National Police Agency’s Cyber Force Center, a technical unit that responds to cybercrimes, monitors for signs of cyberattacks and analyzes malware around the clock. (Provided by the National Police Agency)

Cybersecurity authorities have pegged the China-linked hacker group BlackTech to numerous cyberattacks on companies in Japan and the United States. 

The hackers are believed to target key industries such as telecommunications to steal valuable information.

The authorities are calling on companies to enhance their security measures as the attacks are expected to continue.

The National Police Agency and the government’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity announced the warning on Sept. 27, alongside the U.S. National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

These agencies are publicly attributing the cyberattacks to BlackTech, which is backed by China, based on the results of their investigation--a move designed to demystify the hackers and condemn the nation backing them.

“Investigative cooperation with foreign authorities has been indispensable when dealing with international cyberattacks by groups such as BlackTech,” said Yasuhiro Tsuyuki, commissioner-general of the NPA, at a regular news conference on Sept. 28.

He said that the police agency plans to bolster international collaboration, particularly through the agency’s special cybercrime unit.

Cybersecurity experts have said previously that the BlackTech hacker group was backed by the Chinese government, but now, Japanese and U.S. authorities have officially recognized the hackers’ ties with Beijing.

The NPA has not revealed the names of specific companies affected by the hacker group.

However, in Japan, BlackTech is suspected to have been involved in the attack on Mitsubishi Electric Corp. in 2020, in which the data files containing information on the Defense Ministry and national security could have been leaked.

The group is also alleged to have gained unauthorized access to Fujitsu Ltd.’s information-sharing tool in 2021.

According to the police agency, BlackTech attacks have been confirmed since around 2010, targeting government agencies, the electronics and telecommunications sectors and media in Japan, Taiwan and the United States. 

In Japan, several cases of damage caused by cyberattacks have been confirmed.

The investigation and analysis confirm that the intrusion methods and malware used in cyberattacks on Japanese companies were consistent with those used in cyberattacks on the United States, the NPA said.

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