Suva, Fiji – The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has been targeted by a major cyber attack, with evidence pointing to Chinese state-backed hackers. The incident, which was first detected in February, has prompted the Australian government to send cyber security experts to Fiji to help the PIF Secretariat restore its systems.
The attack, described as “extensive,” aimed to gather sensitive information about the Secretariat’s operations and its communications with member nations. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has concluded that the attack was orchestrated by a group of hackers linked to the Chinese government. This isn’t the first time Australia has publicly accused Chinese state-sponsored groups of cyber espionage, with previous incidents targeting government and private sector entities.
While the PIF Secretariat has not publicly confirmed the attack, a Pacific island government source revealed that the forum quietly alerted its member states to the breach, including at the leaders’ meeting in Tonga.
China has vehemently denied any involvement in the hack, calling the accusations “a made-up story” and a “politicization of cybersecurity issues.” The Chinese embassy in New Zealand stated that China is “a major victim of cyber attacks” and that it “never encourage, support or condone cyber attacks.”
However, the incident has raised concerns about the growing cyber threat facing the Pacific region, particularly as China expands its influence and competition with the West intensifies. The PIF incident comes after a series of cyber attacks targeting Pacific nations, including Vanuatu, Tonga, and Papua New Guinea, which have been hit by ransomware attacks in recent years. Earlier this year, Palau accused Beijing of orchestrating a massive cyber attack on its computer networks.
New Zealand has expressed concern about the growing number of cyber incidents in the region and has praised Australia’s assistance in helping the PIF Secretariat.
Australia, while not confirming the deployment of a cyber security team to Suva, has stated that its “Cyber RAPID Assistance for Pacific Incidents and Disasters (RAPID) team responds to cyber crises as they happen in the Pacific, at the request of Pacific governments.”
The incident highlights the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and regional cooperation to counter these threats.
