CHINA-LINKED espionage groups have targeted at least a dozen nations in Latin America, focusing on geopolitical interests such as maritime shipping and oil production. Notable state-sponsored threats include the Chinese APT groups FamousSparrow and NegativeGlimmer, which have attacked governmental entities in countries like Venezuela and Panama. The rise of these attacks coincides with increased U.S. military involvement in the region and heightened geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China.
Key motivations behind these cyber activities include China's interest in Venezuelan oil and intelligence on U.S. maneuvers. Common attack vectors include unpatched servers and spear-phishing, emphasizing the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.