Wuhan earthquake monitoring centre hit by US cyber attack

In an alarming development, the Wuhan Emergency Management Bureau has disclosed that its Seismic Monitoring Centre was subjected to a cyberattack by an overseas organization. This comes just months after Northwestern Polytechnical University suffered a similar attack in June 2022. The National Computer Virus Emergency Response Team said that the Wuhan Emergency Management Bureau's Seismic Monitoring Centre had discovered backdoor programs implanted on some network equipment at the front-end station collection points of the seismic rapid report data. This act poses a significant threat to national security, with the Jianghan Branch of the Wuhan Municipal Public Security Bureau opening a case in accordance with Article 285 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China.

The news has sent shockwaves through China, with many Weibo users expressing their concerns and frustration at the ongoing cyber attacks targeting the country's critical infrastructure. "They talk about Petri dish, but as a result, they do not even spare our earthquake monitoring centre," wrote one user. Another user commented, "The world is not as peaceful as it seems."

Some users have accused the United States of being behind these cyberattacks, calling for swift action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable. Others have condemned America's actions, with one user stating, "Sure enough, there is always America behind bad things. Pretending to be a saint while being a Biao, that's American style."

The Chinese public has grown increasingly concerned about the country's vulnerability to cyberattacks, particularly in light of recent revelations regarding the United States' cyber operations. In response to these concerns, China has been strengthening its efforts to protect critical infrastructure and bolster national security. However, with each new attack, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes increasingly apparent.

Experts are currently investigating the incident, and preliminary evidence suggests that the Wuhan Seismic Monitoring Centre was targeted by foreign actors. As the situation develops, China is likely to continue ramping up its cybersecurity efforts in a bid to protect against future attacks.