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China is hacking into home routers and webcams around the world for spying purposes – media reports

China is hacking into home routers and webcams around the world for spying purposes – media reports

23 April 2026, 18:37

China is hacking into home routers and webcams around the world for spying purposes – media reports — Chinese routers

The UK’s cyber police, in collaboration with authorities from nine other countries, have issued a warning about a large-scale espionage campaign being carried out by Chinese-linked hacking groups, who are hacking into common household devices – routers, printers and webcams – and turning them into surveillance tools.

This is reported by The Guardian.

According to Richard Horn, head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), China is demonstrating a “dizzying level of sophistication” in its cyber operations.

Speaking at the agency’s annual conference in Glasgow, he described the threat as a confrontation with an “equal competitor in cyberspace”. The joint warning was signed by cybersecurity agencies from the US, Australia, Canada, Germany and other countries.

As stated in the document, Chinese hackers are increasingly using ‘hidden networks’, or botnets – infected devices connected to the internet that conceal the true origin of a cyberattack. Routers are most commonly used for this purpose – primarily outdated models that are not updated. By compromising a home router, attackers gain an anonymous channel for attacking large companies and infrastructure facilities.

Experts particularly highlight the Volt Typhoon group, which Western intelligence agencies have already linked to intrusions into key US infrastructure sites – rail networks, aviation and water supply systems. According to NCSC reports, such botnets are currently created and maintained by private Chinese companies. Indeed, one such entity has infected 200,000 devices worldwide, forming an extensive reconnaissance network.

Companies and organisations are advised to draw up comprehensive maps of their IT systems, including connections to consumer broadband networks, implement multi-factor authentication for remote access, and restrict connections to external devices.

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