Hybrid Data Warfare by China

Hybrid Data Warfare by China

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International relations & GS-III – Cybersecurity

In news

• The Chinese company Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited is monitoring over 10,000 Indian individuals and organisations in its global database of foreign targets.

Key takeaways

• Zhenhua monitors the digital footprint of its targets using Artificial Intelligence tools across social media platforms, maintains an information library.
• The library includes content from news sources, forums, papers, patents, bidding documents and positions of recruitment.

• Targets: Individuals and institutions in politics, government, judiciary, art and sports, business, technology, media, and civil society.
• The Company counts the Chinese government, intelligentsia and military among its clients. However, the Chinese government has denied this.
• Threat: This information can be used for strategic and intelligence services of China for hybrid warfare.

Important value additions

Hybrid Warfare

• It refers to using non-military tools to achieve dominance or damage, subvert or influence. 
• These tools include information pollution, perception management and propaganda.
• Hybrid warfare was used in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War by the Hezbollah group.
• It was also used by Russia against Ukraine in the 2014 annexation of Crimea