Philippines 5th-most targeted by Chinese state-sponsored cyber operations

The Philippines ranked fifth among countries most targeted by Chinese state- cyber operations, according to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report 2026.

The report examined state- cyber activities linked to China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, identifying the countries and sectors most frequently targeted by government-backed hacking groups.

The Philippines accounted for 2% of reported cyber activity attributed to Chinese state actors, placing it behind the United States, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong.

The United States topped the list with 27%, followed by Taiwan at 24% and Japan at 20%. Hong Kong accounted for 3%.

The Philippines also ranked 10th among countries targeted by North Korean state actors and 12th among countries most frequently targeted by cyber threats overall, the report said.

Microsoft said Chinese state- groups primarily conduct large-scale information gathering to support Beijing’s international objectives and intelligence operations.

“The goals of Chinese state actors remain largely consistent over time and center on long-term access to facilitate espionage,” the report said.

According to Microsoft, these groups have used various techniques, including exploiting vulnerabilities in publicly accessible applications, installing web shells or malicious scripts, and deploying remote access trojans.

However, some groups have increasingly shifted toward identity-based attacks, maintaining access through cloud services and stealing data, the report added.

Their targets include information technology and government agencies, as well as research institutions, universities, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, critical manufacturing, transportation, finance, defense and public health organizations.

Microsoft also noted that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of the cyber threat landscape, with some Chinese state actors using AI tools to identify vulnerabilities and seek guidance on exploiting them.

The report said these actors tend to incorporate emerging technologies into their existing operational methods as the tools become more widely adopted.

The findings come as the Philippines continues to face geopolitical tensions with China, particularly over competing claims and maritime confrontations in the West Philippine Sea.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has previously warned of escalating Chinese cyber threats amid strained relations between Manila and Beijing.