Chinese Gov't Fronts Trick the West to Obtain Cyber Tech

Western organisations may have been unwittingly supporting Chinese hackers for years, by collaborating with and selling technology to a research institution tied to state security. According to Recorded Future, Beijing Institute of Electronics Technology and Application (BIETA), its subsidiary Beijing Sanxin Times Technology Co., Ltd.

(CIII), and the University of International Relations are used by the Ministry of State Security to recruit talent and acquire Western cyber technologies, with BIETA sometimes presenting as an independent entity. The piece notes that BEITA researchers have focused on steganography, a technique reportedly linked to MSS-linked APTs that have used image and other media to conceal malware.

It also outlines a complex pipeline whereby BIETA’s research output may feed into MSS operational capabilities, without establishing direct lines to specific APTs. BEITA’s collaborations and the existence of CIII as a state-owned intermediary are described as broad mechanisms for obtaining foreign technology, including penetration testing tools and spy gear. The analysis cautions that, while BIETA operates at the national level, the exact connection to particular cyber operations remains uncertain.