Pro-democracy protest leaders in Hong Kong suspect Beijing of monitoring them covertly, a report said.
Lester Shum, a recently elected student leader said that he found a warning in his email box that said, "We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer." His phone has become filled with echoes and garbled talk and his friends are convinced that it is being scrutinized by China, reported The Guardian.
Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of CrowdStrike, a US-based cybersecurity company said that he was confident that the cellphones and landlines of those participating in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement are being monitored by the Chinese authorities.
Alperovitch said that at least one spy ring has been spotted by his company that is linked to the Chinese government and has infiltrated the computer networks of activists and the pro-democracy Civic Party.
The ring has sent text messages that appear to be from friends but contain malware. When a message is opened, the virus is installed on the phone and has the capability to grab the users' contact list, eavesdrop on their phones and breach emails covertly, he said.
The demonstrators are protesting against Beijing's decision to vet candidates in 2017 elections.
