Global InformationPLA Unit 61486 information
| Unit 61486 | |
|---|---|
| Country |  People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance |  Chinese Communist Party[1] |
| Branch |  People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force |
| Type | Cyber force |
| Role | Cyber warfare Electronic warfare |
| Part of |  People's Liberation Army |
| Nickname(s) | Putter Panda |
PLA Unit 61486 (also known as Putter Panda or APT2) is a People's Liberation Army unit dedicated to cyberattacks on American, Japanese, and European corporations focused on satellite and communications technology. It is a unit that takes part in China's campaign to steal trade and military secrets from foreign targets.[2][3][4][5]
In 2014, they were exposed to the public by a report made by CrowdStrike, a digital security firm. One member of Unit 61486 has been identified as Chen Ping, with the online alias of "cpyy". Unit 61486 has also been nicknamed "Putter Panda" by the security firm Crowdstrike, in reference to its Chinese origins ("panda") and its penchant for targeting golf players ("putter").[2]
Its exposure came after another PLA unit, PLA Unit 61398, was exposed for similar activity, the previous year, as well as the indictment of five members of Unit 61398 by the United States the previous month.[2] Meanwhile, Edward Snowden's release of information on America's surveillance program would also become a focal point in China's response to the accusations of spying, using it as evidence the United States was hypocritical in their accusations of espionage.[6]
- ^ "The PLA Oath" (PDF). February 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
I am a member of the People's Liberation Army. I promise that I will follow the leadership of the Communist Party of China...
- ^ a b c Perlroth, Nicole (9 June 2014). "2nd China Army Unit Implicated in Online Spying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Second China unit accused of cyber crime". Financial Times. 10 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ "Cyber Spies Targeting U.S. Defense, Tech Firms Linked to China's PLA: Report". SecurityWeek.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ "Cyber conflict escalates: Second Chinese PLA hacking group accused -". Defense Systems. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ Menn, Joseph (10 June 2014). "Private U.S. report accuses another Chinese military unit of hacking". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.