Double Dragon

Double Dragon, aka Cicada, is a Chinese state-sponsored espionage group by day that’s also known to dabble in financially motivated cybercrime for personal gain by night. The group’s activities have been traced back to 2012 and have included espionage operations against 14 different countries, including the US and the UK.

Since its first sightings by security experts, Double Dragon has been observed conducting a wide range of operations. These include supply-chain attacks and data exfiltration, as well as the use of complex proprietary tools.

The group’s highly sophisticated targeting techniques and particularly offensive methods of operation distinguish them from other state-sponsored groups, making them a double (dragon) threat to contend with.

Apart from directly attacking government institutions, Double Dragon is also targeting private companies in the travel and telecommunications industries in order to access data they can use for surveillance operations.

• Allegiance: China
• Active since: 2012
• Best known for: Massive global hacking campaign in 2020