Finance
Cyber Agencies Warn Organisations to Guard Against China-Linked Covert Networks
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 23, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 23, 2026
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Quick Summary
Cyber agencies including the UK’s NCSC and international partners are urging organisations to strengthen defenses against covert, China-linked cyber espionage networks that exploit native system tools and compromised devices to hide malicious activity.
China-linked hackers using everyday devices to hide attacks, cyber agencies warn
International Cybersecurity Agencies Issue Warning on Covert Chinese Hacker Activity
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - International cyber agencies on Thursday urged organisations to better defend against covert networks used by China-linked hackers to conceal malicious cyber activity, according to Britain's National Cyber Security Centre.
The NCSC published the new guidance alongside industry and 15 international partners from across eight other countries: the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.
How Covert Networks Operate
Covert networks, usually made up of what the NCSC described as vulnerable everyday internet-connected devices such as home routers and smart devices, are used to target critical sectors globally, steal sensitive data, and maintain persistent access.
Techniques Used by Hackers
"In recent years, we have seen a deliberate shift in cyber groups based in China utilising these networks to hide their malicious activity in an attempt to avoid accountability," NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester said in a statement.
Official Responses and Statements
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Challenges in Detecting and Disrupting Attacks
The new guidance - jointly issued with agencies including the U.S.'s Federal Bureau of Investigation - warns that attacks can be hard to detect because evidence can disappear quickly, complicating efforts to disrupt such activity.
Increasing Threats and National Responses
Warnings from Cybersecurity Leaders
The advisory comes a day after Richard Horne, the head of the NCSC, warned Britain to brace for a rise in cyberattacks directly or indirectly from nation states, including China, Iran and Russia.
He said his agency had continued to handle about four nationally significant cyber incidents a week on average and that the highest-impact attacks were increasingly tied to governments rather than criminal gangs alone.
Collaborative Efforts with AI Companies
Britain has also called on leading AI companies to work with the government to build AI-powered cyber-defence capabilities to protect critical national infrastructure.
(Reporting by Muvija M and Sam Tabahriti, additional reporting by Beijing newsroom, editing by William James)
Key Takeaways
- •Agencies from nine countries—including UK, US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain—released joint guidance to guard against China-linked covert networks (ncsc.gov.uk).
- •The guidance warns of ‘living off the land’ techniques where attackers use built-in network tools to remain undetected within infrastructure networks (ncsc.gov.uk).
- •Recent intelligence has revealed botnets and proxy networks (ORB) composed of compromised routers and IoT devices used by China-linked actors to orchestrate global espionage campaigns, underscoring need for enhanced detection and mitigation (globalsecurity.org)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Cyber agencies warn organisations to guard against China-linked covert networks
1What is the main warning from international cyber agencies?
Agencies are warning organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers.
2Which countries partnered in the new cybersecurity guidance?
Partners include the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK.
3Who published the latest cybersecurity guidance?
The guidance was published by Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) with support from industry and international partners.
4What is the focus of the advisory from cyber agencies?
The advisory focuses on defending against covert networks used by China-linked hackers for malicious activities.
