Chinese hackers target German pharma and tech firms

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chinese hacker group APT 27, long suspected of launching attacks on Western government agencies, has started targeting German companies in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and technology, Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said on Wednesday.

In addition to stealing trade secrets and intellectual property, the hackers may be trying to penetrate customers' and service providers' networks to infiltrate several companies at once, the BfV said in a circular to companies.

In its annual constitutional protection report from 2019, the BfV had pointed out the group's acronym APT 27 is an alias for a Chinese hacker group also known as the "Emissary Panda," which is believed to target foreign embassies and critical sectors.

Last year, the United States and its allies accused China of a carrying out a global cyberespionage campaign. China has denied the allegation.

(Reporting by Zuzanna Szymanska; Editing by Mark Potter)