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New Zealand's cyber security agency has joined international partners in issuing guidance on malicious cyber activity it says is linked to China.
The National Cyber Security Centre, which sits within the Government Communications Security Bureau, said the activity, known as Salt Typhoon, had been observed in several countries, including New Zealand.
The activity, primarily focused on backbone routers, exploits common vulnerabilities and exposures in telecommunications, government, transportation, lodging, and military infrastructure networks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it has been able to access customer call data, private communications, sensitive law-enforcement information, and technical network information.
The advisory was issued alongside agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
It said the stolen data could ultimately be used to identify and track targets' communications and movements around the world.
The joint statement said Advanced Persistent Threat actors had been performing malicious operations globally since at least 2021.
The operations had been linked to a number of China-based entities, including some that provide cyber-related products and services to China's intelligence services.
The NCSC previously warned about the operation last December.
It was working with telecommunications and critical infrastructure organisations to warn about the activity, make them aware of the different risks, and work to identify the extent of the risks and mitigate them.
This included asking organisations to review their router logs and configurations for any unexpected, unproved, or unusual activity.
China has repeatedly denied involvement in the past.
RNZ has contacted the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand for comment.
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