Facebook Says Cyber Spies In China Targeted Uyghurs

A group of well-resourced hackers in China targeted hundreds of Uyghur activists, journalists, and dissidents living abroad, trying to trick them into clicking on website links booby-trapped with malicious code, according to the social network.

Facebook on Wednesday said it disrupted efforts by hackers in China to spy on supporters of the Uyghur minority living outside that country. A group of well-resourced hackers in China targeted hundreds of Uyghur activists, journalists, and dissidents living abroad, trying to trick them into clicking on website links booby-trapped with malicious code, according to the social network. "This group used various cyber espionage tactics to identify its targets and infect their devices with malware to enable surveillance," Facebook head of cyber espionage investigations Mike Dvilyanski and security policy chief Nathaniel Gleicher said in a blog post. "This activity had the hallmarks of a well-resourced and persistent operation, while obfuscating who's behind it."