Chinese hackers stole 19,000 documents from Volkswagen: “Knowledge plays a big role in competition”

Chinese hackers managed to steal 19,000 documents from Volkswagen. German media reported this Glass in ZDF according to forty local documents. Volkswagen confirmed the incident.

The truth took place between 2010 and 2015, but its consequences are still visible today, writes the German media. The hackers obtained information about electric cars, a market in which the Germans are fiercely contested by Chinese competitors.

The attack may have started in 2010, when the Chinese inspected Volkswagen’s IT structure for potential security holes. From 2011 to 2014, they managed to get the document several times.

In 2015, Volkswagen attacked. It was no coincidence that it did so on a Friday at 10 am. At that time it was already 4pm in China, and Chinese hackers were enjoying their weekend. According to Microsoft, this is the biggest cyber attack worldwide.

During the attack, the Germans accessed documents that were once on Chinese servers. This is how they discovered the hacking targets. The Chinese were, among other things, looking for information on the development of gasoline engines and (semi-automatic) gearboxes. They were also curious about the development of cars that use electricity and other alternative fuels.

“Defamation charges”

Although hacking started ten years ago, it can still be effective today. “Data on gasoline engines, gearboxes and special knowledge on electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles play a very important role in international competition,” says Helena Wisbert (Austfalia University of Applied Sciences) ZDF.

In those documents Glass in ZDF China has not been directly accused, but all interlocutors pointed in that direction. The IP addresses used, for example, were found close to Chinese military intelligence in Beijing. In addition, a special Chinese Hacking program was used.

The Chinese embassy in Berlin told German media that it “condemns any form of cyber espionage.” At the same time, he calls accusations that the Chinese government uses hackers to carry out cyber attacks a “slander”.