Chinese spies use LinkedIn to target UK officials and military staff

The Ministry of Defence, Whitehall. The Five Eyes powers, which includes Britain, are warning about fake recruiters who claim to work for thinktanks or businesses. Photograph: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen The Ministry of Defence, Whitehall. The Five Eyes powers, which includes Britain, are warning about fake recruiters who claim to work for thinktanks or businesses. Photograph: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock Chinese spies use LinkedIn to target UK officials and military staff Advertisements for non-existent jobs aim to draw in people with access to classified or sensitive information Chinese spies are targeting UK government and military staff on job websites including LinkedIn to try to get access to classified or sensitive information, MI5 has warned. A bulletin has been released by the Five Eyes powers – the UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – highlighting an “aggressive” online recruitment strategy where spies for Beijing military intelligence pose as workers acting on behalf of private businesses or thinktanks. They advertise for non-existent jobs such as foreign policy or defence analysts, before pressuring candidates to provide “non-public” information, the domestic intelligence agencies warned on Wednesday. Recruits are targeted on professional networking sites and online job platforms including LinkedIn , Indeed and Upwork as Chinese agents purporting to be HR consultants for legitimate-looking companies that appear to be located elsewhere in the world, targeting those with either direct or indirect access to British secrets . Even if the applicant has no direct access to classified information, other details of government policy or military strategies and capabilities could compromise national security, the agencies warn. China’s power play: MI5 warns of relentless espionage attempts in Britain Read more The document, published by ASIO, CSIS, FBI, MI5 and NZSIS, said: “China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel and anyone with access to classified or privileged information. “These actors use an aggressive online recruitment strategy whereby intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, thinktanks or human resources firms, and place online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts or similar. “Successful candidates are pressured to provide ‘non-public’ information for unspecified clients who are associated with the Chinese government. “China’s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes. The type of workers who may be targeted include: Security clearance holders, especially those who specialise in defence, foreign affairs and security and intelligence. Mili