THE Five Eyes intelligence alliance (FBI, MI5, ASIO, CSIS, NZSIS) has issued an alert regarding Chinese military intelligence posing as recruiters to target government and military personnel for sensitive information. Using fake job postings on platforms like LinkedIn, these spies aim to coerce applicants into revealing classified information.
Their methods include virtual interviews where they probe candidates about their access to government data and request reports on sensitive topics, often leading to payments via common online platforms. Unwitting applicants risk reputational and legal repercussions, and even unclassified information can be of strategic value when aggregated.
The alert emphasizes the evolving nature of insider threats, extending beyond direct employees to contractors and former personnel with tenuous connections to sensitive information.