Volkswagen: Chinese hackers are said to be spying on VW on a large scale

According to a media report, suspected hackers from China have been spying on the Volkswagen Group for years. Spiegel and ZDF reported on 40 internal documents in which “a previously unknown massive cyber attack on Volkswagen could be reconstructed.” Therefore, the goal was to acquire technological knowledge.

According to the report, the cyberattacks occurred several years ago and started in 2010. In the following years, hackers repeatedly managed to gain access rights to VW’s internal data. The group’s internal analysis finds it likely that all the attacks were carried out by the same actors.

The attackers are said to have stolen thousands of files from the automaker, as the company basically confirmed. When asked, a company spokesperson declined to comment on the details. However, the company said in a statement that the incident happened ten years ago. According to media reports, up to 19,000 files are said to have been stolen in total, with the reports narrowing the time frame of the crime to 2010 to 2014 or 2015.

According to the study, the attackers targeted a variety of technologies, from “gasoline engine advancements” and “transmission advancements” to alternative drive technologies such as electrics and fuel cells. “They were interested in the infection control program, in the technical guidelines, for example how to plan a direct shift distribution,” he quoted. Spiegel an expert familiar with the case.

Evidence for The Chinese So there is no writing, but there is a lot of evidence. The attackers’ IP addresses led to Beijing and the Chinese military, an insider said. German security officials also reported that an attack by Chinese government hackers was highly likely Spiegel and ZDF. According to reports, the Chinese embassy in Berlin reacted angrily to people suspected of having ties to China and emphasized that the country condemns any form of cyber espionage.