India, Oct. 15 -- Group found targeting governments and telecoms across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa

Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence and incident response team, Unit 42, has uncovered a previously undocumented Chinese threat group, now touted as "Phantom Taurus." Active for more than two years, the group has conducted targeted operations against ministries of foreign affairs, embassies, telecommunications providers, and other government-linked entities across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Unit 42's research indicates that Phantom Taurus is a China-nexus threat actor focused on long-term intelligence collection, rather than short-term disruption or financial gain. The group's operations appear to align with broader geop...