China's Military Cyber Operations - Strategic Support Force's Evolution and Challenges

Explore China's evolving military cyber operations and the role of the Strategic Support Force (SSF) in this 41-minute Black Hat presentation. Analyze the SSF's strategic shift, its integration challenges with Theatre Commands, and its impact on the Indo-Pacific power balance. Examine the diffused command-and-control structure, the influence of pre-reorganization bureaucracies, and the absorption of various units within the SSF. Investigate the use of ShadowPad in threat activity clusters and its implications for military cyber operations. Gain insights into the potential outsourcing of strategic operations to contractors and the resulting implications for the SSF's ambitions. Delve into the complexities of China's cyber operations during conflicts and the strategic weaknesses in its command structure.

China's Military Cyber Operations: Has the Strategic Support Force Come of Age?