Marc Hofer
@marchofer.bsky.social
Journalist ,former East-Africa and Middle East and a few years China. Ex SkyNews, Ex ITV. A few wars, a little bit of “cybersec and China” and other things.
Pinned
Marc Hofer
@marchofer.bsky.social
· Jan 4
Why do so little internal documents leak from China, compared to its sizable digital administrative infrastructure ? NetAskari got their hands on an internal document monitoring and control software for government workstations: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
We talked with Dr. Valentin Weber about his research on secure messenger services inside the PLA, their flaws and limitation and how a system obsessed with surveillance, even compromises on security to keep tabs on what their soldiers talk about: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
January 28, 2026 at 4:17 PM
We talked with Dr. Valentin Weber about his research on secure messenger services inside the PLA, their flaws and limitation and how a system obsessed with surveillance, even compromises on security to keep tabs on what their soldiers talk about: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Chinese pen-testers know about the Chinese eco system as much as they know about western tools and techniques. While western researchers often never step inside the Chinese world of red-teams: tinyurl.com/48z9etwk
What's in the box !?
NetAskari got access to a little "toolbox" of a Chinese red-team/pen-tester. Let's explore.
tinyurl.com
January 19, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Chinese pen-testers know about the Chinese eco system as much as they know about western tools and techniques. While western researchers often never step inside the Chinese world of red-teams: tinyurl.com/48z9etwk
See how Chinese red-team / pen-testers see China's e-government infrastructure and witness how they assess security flaws in the govt run service infrastructure ( has diagrams and pictures ) : tinyurl.com/ynp4ahzk
January 12, 2026 at 2:42 PM
See how Chinese red-team / pen-testers see China's e-government infrastructure and witness how they assess security flaws in the govt run service infrastructure ( has diagrams and pictures ) : tinyurl.com/ynp4ahzk
We got our hand on a Chinese DLP program the government and national security agencies use to monitor state employees computers for leakage and usage of confidential documents. Meet 保密管理系统. 1/9
January 6, 2026 at 8:47 AM
We got our hand on a Chinese DLP program the government and national security agencies use to monitor state employees computers for leakage and usage of confidential documents. Meet 保密管理系统. 1/9
Why do so little internal documents leak from China, compared to its sizable digital administrative infrastructure ? NetAskari got their hands on an internal document monitoring and control software for government workstations: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
January 4, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Why do so little internal documents leak from China, compared to its sizable digital administrative infrastructure ? NetAskari got their hands on an internal document monitoring and control software for government workstations: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
As the year is coming to an end, here are our picks of the five best stories on netaskari.online . If you have some time over the holidays, please check them out: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
December 23, 2025 at 9:41 AM
As the year is coming to an end, here are our picks of the five best stories on netaskari.online . If you have some time over the holidays, please check them out: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
An example of an HikVision powered neighborhood surveillance and access-control system, that you can find all across China's cities. In the past often stand-alone, they are increasingly getting integrated into the nation wide "Sharp eyes" ( 雪亮 ) project.
December 15, 2025 at 10:31 PM
An example of an HikVision powered neighborhood surveillance and access-control system, that you can find all across China's cities. In the past often stand-alone, they are increasingly getting integrated into the nation wide "Sharp eyes" ( 雪亮 ) project.
Read our primer on how the big-data analysis system operated by the Chinese police can track people across country, via having almost real time access to their means of travel, bank account activities, phone calls and online activity. netaskari.substack.com/p/smart-poli...
December 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Read our primer on how the big-data analysis system operated by the Chinese police can track people across country, via having almost real time access to their means of travel, bank account activities, phone calls and online activity. netaskari.substack.com/p/smart-poli...
Welcome to PART 2 of NetAskari’s analysis of “Expedition Cloud”, a Cyber Range operated by the Ministry of Public Security of China to improve their offensive cyber capabilities : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Critical strike: China's hacking training grounds (PART 2)
A deep dive into the technical elements of the "Expedition Cloud" Cyber Range designed for the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
open.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Welcome to PART 2 of NetAskari’s analysis of “Expedition Cloud”, a Cyber Range operated by the Ministry of Public Security of China to improve their offensive cyber capabilities : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
China’s hacking training grounds, gunning or foreign nations’ critical infrastructure: tinyurl.com/y67z79ve
November 26, 2025 at 8:42 AM
China’s hacking training grounds, gunning or foreign nations’ critical infrastructure: tinyurl.com/y67z79ve
Internal documents from a Chinese cyber security company reveal how the Ministry of Public Security is commissioning “cyber ranges” to explore attack methods against adversaries digital critical infrastructure: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Critical strike: China's hacking training grounds (PART 1)
Exclusive internal design documents reveal details of China's digital training grounds, set up to attack critical infrastructure of its "major adversaries".
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Internal documents from a Chinese cyber security company reveal how the Ministry of Public Security is commissioning “cyber ranges” to explore attack methods against adversaries digital critical infrastructure: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
China created its digital surveillance state with the eager help of US’s BigTech, Dake Kang reports: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Episode 4: State of surveillance - Made in America
An AP investigation reveals deep links of US big tech companies and the Chinese digital surveillance machine.
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:55 PM
China created its digital surveillance state with the eager help of US’s BigTech, Dake Kang reports: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
More comprehensive take on the KnownSec data leak: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
KnownSec breach: What we know so far.
After the initial buzz around the data leak from Chinese cybersecurity firm KnownSec, a few more details have since emerged. Here is our take.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:29 PM
More comprehensive take on the KnownSec data leak: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Some first thoughts on the KnownSec databreach : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Breaking: KnownSec - Databreach
One of China's most prolific developers of digital forensic tools for the Chinese security services and provider of "cyber weapons" might have undergone a major data leak.
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Some first thoughts on the KnownSec databreach : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
A new comcept for a locked down DNS for China, will strengthen the country’s digital censorship: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
DNS4CN: A Truly Locked-Down DNS for China
China still relies heavily on the global DNS resolution system, creating a lot of headaches for the censors and puts extra strain on the Great Firewall of China. A new system design changes that.
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
A new comcept for a locked down DNS for China, will strengthen the country’s digital censorship: open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
We interviewed Benjamin Mixon-Baca on his reaearch on Free VPNs, who is behind them and their links to Chinese cyber security companies and ex-PLA members. substack.com/@netaskari/n...
Free VPNs: Security flaws, hidden owners and potential links to the PLA.
Free VPNs are mushrooming in App-Stores. But they come often with a whole rat tail of problems and hidden "features".
substack.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:30 AM
We interviewed Benjamin Mixon-Baca on his reaearch on Free VPNs, who is behind them and their links to Chinese cyber security companies and ex-PLA members. substack.com/@netaskari/n...
A patent shows how China’s security services keep tabs on citizens mobile devices combining WiFi-probes and big-data collusion : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Big Data = Big Surveillance
China’s ability to conduct digital surveillance on their population is not particularly new, but connecting those tools to big-data raises their potency.
open.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
A patent shows how China’s security services keep tabs on citizens mobile devices combining WiFi-probes and big-data collusion : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Episode 2 of NetAskari’s podcast just dropped : The Locknet - substack.com/home/post/p-...
Episode 2: The Locknet
How China controls the internet and why it matters: Join Jessica Batke and Laura Edelson talking to us about their recent report.
substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Episode 2 of NetAskari’s podcast just dropped : The Locknet - substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Marc Hofer
“The source told CBS News that [Kash Patel and Dan Bongino] asked for "large, beefy" agents to conduct an arrest of Comey "in full kit," including Kevlar vests and exterior wear emblazoned with the FBI logo.” The leadership of the FBI is now in the hands of infantile psychopaths.
The FBI is weighing an arrest and perp walk for Comey — and suspended an agent for refusing to help, sources say
The FBI is considering carrying out a "showy" arrest and perp walk of the agency's now-indicted ex-Director James Comey, sources tell CBS News.
www.cbsnews.com
October 4, 2025 at 3:26 AM
“The source told CBS News that [Kash Patel and Dan Bongino] asked for "large, beefy" agents to conduct an arrest of Comey "in full kit," including Kevlar vests and exterior wear emblazoned with the FBI logo.” The leadership of the FBI is now in the hands of infantile psychopaths.
Xinjiang 912: The evolution of the Great Firewall forged in one of the world’s most surveilled and controlled regions. open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
October 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Xinjiang 912: The evolution of the Great Firewall forged in one of the world’s most surveilled and controlled regions. open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
We took a stroll among the less sexy “study” documents of MESA Lab but still found some interesting little nuggets on the future of China’s cyber strategy and developments : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
September 30, 2025 at 5:37 AM
We took a stroll among the less sexy “study” documents of MESA Lab but still found some interesting little nuggets on the future of China’s cyber strategy and developments : open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
Reposted by Marc Hofer
Federal agencies are racing to contain a new wave of sophisticated hacking by suspected Chinese attackers that took advantage of previously undiscovered flaws in widely used security software from networking company Cisco.
U.S. government scrambles to stop new hacking campaign blamed on China
U.S. cybersecurity officials ordered civilian federal agencies to check for vulnerable Cisco equipment being exploited by attackers targeting the government.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Federal agencies are racing to contain a new wave of sophisticated hacking by suspected Chinese attackers that took advantage of previously undiscovered flaws in widely used security software from networking company Cisco.
Selling China's Great Firewall to the world: a series of unprecedented data and document leaks lift the curtain on China's global surveillance and censorship business ( built with the help of some western big tech players too ). open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
September 22, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Selling China's Great Firewall to the world: a series of unprecedented data and document leaks lift the curtain on China's global surveillance and censorship business ( built with the help of some western big tech players too ). open.substack.com/pub/netaskar...
We did a little bit of an analysis of a leaked project mindmap that according to us, reveals some internals of a Chinese network range, operated by the Ministry of Public Security.
September 12, 2025 at 2:43 PM
We did a little bit of an analysis of a leaked project mindmap that according to us, reveals some internals of a Chinese network range, operated by the Ministry of Public Security.
Not sure how reliable the numbers are as we have very scarce data on China, where the private-public cyber security sector is booming too.
September 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Not sure how reliable the numbers are as we have very scarce data on China, where the private-public cyber security sector is booming too.