# GhostNet: threat group profile

> GhostNet is a threat group. Public reporting about it is still limited. This free profile brings together what is known about it, so you can judge the risk to you. It lists the other names the group goes by and links to every public report behind it.

Canonical page: https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors/ghostnet
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.edgeprotect.io/) > [Threat groups](https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors) > GhostNet

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Thought to operate from | Not known |
| Other names | 1 |
| Public reports | 3 |

## Who is GhostNet?

GhostNet is a threat group. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

Snooping Dragon

Security companies each give the same group their own name, so one group can have many.

### What public reporting says

> Cyber espionage is an issue whose time has come. In this second report from the Information Warfare Monitor, we lay out the findings of a 10-month investigation of alleged Chinese cyber spying against Tibetan institutions. The investigation, consisting of fieldwork, technical scouting, and laboratory analysis, discovered a lot more. The investigation ultimately uncovered a network of over 1,295 infected hosts in 103 countries. Up to 30% of the infected hosts are considered high-value targets and include computers located at ministries of foreign affairs, embassies, international organizations, news media, and NGOs. The Tibetan computer systems we manually investigated, and from which our investigations began, were conclusively compromised by multiple infections that gave attackers unprecedented access to potentially sensitive information. Attacks on the Dalai Lama’s Private Office The OHHDL started to suspect it was under surveillance while setting up meetings be-tween His Holiness and foreign dignitaries. They sent an email invitation on behalf of His Holiness to a foreign diplomat, but before they could follow it up with a courtesy telephone call, the diplomat’s office was contacted by the Chinese government and warned not to go ahead with the meeting. The Tibetans wondered whether a computer compromise might be the explanation; they called ONI Asia who called us. (Until May 2008, the first author was employed on a studentship funded by the OpenNet Initiative and the second author was a principal investigator for ONI.)

## Public reports about GhostNet

- http://www.nartv.org/mirror/ghostnet.pdf
- https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/techreports/UCAM-CL-TR-746.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GhostNet

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is GhostNet?

GhostNet is a threat group. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### How do I know if GhostNet is a risk to my business?

Create an account and tell us the software you run. We match it against known flaws, including those linked to threat groups, rank each one from 0 to 100 and tell you as soon as we spot something that affects you.

## Check whether it matters to your business

A free EdgeProtect account (no card needed) matches the software you run against known flaws, including those linked to threat groups, ranks each one from 0 to 100 and tells you as soon as we spot something that affects you. It also shows which threat groups and ransomware gangs are hitting your sector, with profiles of over 900 groups and a PDF dossier for each.

- Start free: https://www.edgeprotect.io/register
- Book a demo: https://www.edgeprotect.io/contact