Chinese technology company Beijing Institute of Electronics Technology and Application (BIETA) is likely being operated under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), according to cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
As per the report, at least four individuals affiliated with BIETA, Wu Shizhong, He Dequan, You Xingang, and Zhou Linna, have clear or potential connections to MSS operatives. Also, the company has a long-standing relationship with the University of International Relations, an institution believed to share ties with the MSS.
The report says that BIETA and its subsidiary, Beijing Sanxin Times Technology Co., Ltd. (CIII), are engaged in activities that “almost certainly” support Chinese intelligence, counterintelligence, and military operations.
The company’s operations include research into steganography for covert communications, malware deployment, development of forensic and counterintelligence tools, and acquisition of foreign technologies for cybersecurity and military communication applications. BIETA describes itself as a research and development institution specializing in secure communication and multimedia technologies.
CIII has developed a range of apps, from data upload tools for Baidu Cloud and OneDrive to software for network penetration testing and communications simulation. One tool, developed as recently as November 2021, is said to monitor and block mobile devices within large venues and extract text messages and calls.
Despite limited public data on how BIETA’s tools are directly used by the MSS, Recorded Future says that the company is “almost certainly” part of a broader network of front organizations enabling cyber-enabled espionage efforts by China’s intelligence services.