Phish, Chips & Voldemort: Inside China’s Cyber Targeting of Taiwan

DISCARDED: Tales From the Threat Research Trenches

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Hello to all our Cyber Panda Bears! In this extra-packed episode of Discarded, host Selena Larson and guest host, Sarah Sabotka reunite with Staff Threat Researcher Mark Kelly to dive deep into China-aligned espionage activity—this time with a focus on Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem and the strange, stealthy tools threat actors are using to get in.

Mark walks us through Proofpoint’s latest research on custom malware (yes, “Voldemort” is back), threat clusters with pun-filled names like UNK_SparkyCarp and UNK_DropPitch, and why Taiwan’s chip industry has become such a hot target. From design and manufacturing to financial analysts and supply chains, Chinese state-aligned actors are getting more creative—and more persistent.

We also unpack:

The “Phish & Chips” campaign and how it fits into China’s broader geopolitical strategy
Why pop culture references like Voldemort and Mr. Robot keep showing up in espionage infrastructure
Attribution headaches, including Proofpoint’s tracking of multiple unattributed threat clusters with UNK designators
How AI, LLMs, and adversary-in-the-middle phishing are influencing espionage tactics
The use of RMM tools and spoofed MacOS folders for stealth
Why basic backdoors are making a strategic comeback
A threat intel team’s deep love for vegetables, puns, and report titles

Whether you're tracking state-sponsored cyber activity, curious about weird malware names, or just here for the expert banter, this episode has you covered.

Resources Mentioned:

Phish & Chips: Chinese Espionage Activity Targeting Taiwan's Semiconductor Ecosystem

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#Tech #Dan Sanchez