Samuel Cogolati, Federal Deputy Ecolo, confirms having been the target of a cyberattack from China, the party said in a statement on Wednesday.
“If the Chinese Communist Party thinks it is intimidating us this way, it is wrong. We will continue to rise up until the camps of shame are closed. Because being the target of cyber espionage is nothing compared to the persecution that millions of Uyghurs, Tibetans and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have to endure. It is for them and them that we act”, he assured.
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According to the Green MP, Belgium must however shed full light on the extent of Chinese cyberattacks once morest our country. “Hackers do not visibly come to our servers for their leisure. It is methodical, targeted once morest human rights defenders and organized on behalf of the Chinese regime. We must be clear regarding the duration, nature and victims of cyberattacks that targeted Belgium”, he pointed out, calling on the government to “open an investigation to find out whether sensitive or classified data might have been exfiltrated to Beijing”.
Moreover, these cyberattacks cannot go unpunished. “When Belgium has tangible evidence to attribute a cyberattack to a government entity, this malicious act must be denounced as such through diplomatic channels. The government behind the digital attack must bear the costs of repairing the targeted servers. And the hackers must be sanctioned by the EU”, continued Samuel Cogolati.
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Finally, the cybersecurity of the most vulnerable must be reinforced, and in particular that of Uyghur political refugees or pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong in exile in Belgium.