Red Lantern Analytica blames Chinese Communist Party for hacking website

"Red Lantern Analytica's website was hacked today, and as per the evidence left by the attackers, we are certain that Chinese hackers acting on directives from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were responsible for it," read RLA's statement.

The think tank also condemned the "50 Cent Army" group, which is backed by the Chinese Communist Party.

"All of these destructive acts can be attributed to what we call the '50 Cent Army' group, which is backed by the Chinese Communist Party. The attacks were launched from China with the intent of stealing intellectual property and conducting espionage," added RLA's statement.

Due to the cyberattack, many articles in Chinese were showing up on Red Lantern Analytica's home page.

The think tank further said that they had been constantly under threat from China. "Our Twitter handle has also been blocked by Lilian Chao (Official Spokesperson & Deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department)," added the statement.

RLA lambasted CCP for "reckless and dangerous behaviour that jeopardised the safety of millions" as the think tank's penetration and exploitation of its website's server compromised the security and integrity of tens of thousands of computers and networks around the world, affecting those belonging to the website's visitors and frequent readers.

Meanwhile, RLA has identified malicious cyber activity with considerable effects aimed at its Facebook, Instagram, email accounts, and other social media handles.

"We vehemently condemn these hostile cyber actions, which violate the rules of responsible state behaviour accepted by all United Nations member states. We continue to urge the Chinese government to adhere to these rules, prohibit the use of its territory for malicious cyber activities and take all appropriate, available, and practicable measures to detect, investigate, and ensure that nothing of this sort happens in the future," said RLA's statement.

The think tank also reiterated that irrespective of Chinese cyberattacks, it "will continue to pursue our objective of speaking out against China's human rights violations, maritime and military muscle-flexing, debt-trap diplomacy, and heavy-handed approach to criticism and dissent that frequently spans China's geographical borders."

RLA further reaffirmed its resolve to continue combating malicious Chinese operations.

"We will continue to improve our cooperation, including with international partners and other public and private stakeholders, by sharing more information and staying involved, strengthening cyber resilience and handling incidents together, and working together to make our website and social media handles more secure overall," added the statement. (ANI)