Sharp Dragon APT Group Expands Cyber Espionage Operations to Africa and the Caribbean - #SharpPanda
The Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Sharp Panda, also known as Sharp Dragon, has been actively expanding its cyber espionage operations beyond its traditional targets in Southeast Asia to include government entities in Africa and the Caribbean. The group employs sophisticated techniques such as spear-phishing emails, exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office documents, and deploying modular malware frameworks like SoulSearcher and Soul. In recent campaigns, Sharp Panda has adopted the use of more widely available tools like Cobalt Strike Beacon, compromised servers for command and control infrastructure, and tailored its tactics to evade detection. The group's evolving methods and broadening target scope underscore the persistent threat posed by state-sponsored actors and the need for heightened cybersecurity measures across regions.