China Wants to Connect With You on LinkedIn

Don't be so eager to grow your network, says German intelligence.

Russia is not the only nation that uses fake social media accounts to advance its national interests. According to the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), German officials have been targeted by Chinese intelligence operations via LinkedIn. Posing as recruiters or consultants, the agents scour LinkedIn for impressive and attractive resumes, specifically searching for members of government offices or parliament. The agent would then offer expenses-paid trips to China to meet with supposedly influential heads of think tanks, government, or non-profits. 

Wanting to investigate further, the BfV created a task force that was responsible for investigating the fake profiles and what exactly it was that they were after. The investigation spanned nine months, and the results indicate that Chinese intelligence agents were looking to recruit informants as a means of gaining a financial and economical edge over competitors. This is not the first instance of Chinese cyber espionage in an economic sector. As a matter of fact, Chinese cyber espionage is the main reason behind the agreement between former President Obama and current Chinese President Xi, which essentially states that both nations will refrain from knowingly engaging in cyber theft of intellectual property or other information for commercial advantage. 

Coupled with the persistent insistence of Russia's informational warfare in the United States, public and private sector companies need to be aware of the dangers that do lurk in social media. Regardless of status or position, not all people are adept at cyber hygiene. That being said, it is probably time to introduce cyber hygiene training at all levels. By offering incentives to complete the training, like a monetary bonus, a company or agency prioritize employee cyber hygiene training to avoid situations like this LinkedIn problem. Companies should also take employee concerns and grievances seriously. Why? If the Chinese intelligence agents happened to recruit a particularly disgruntled employee with knowledge of sensitive information, it puts the company or agency at risk.