A China-aligned cyberespionage group targeted a Panamanian entity directly involved in the dispute over two major ports at opposite ends of the Panama Canal, cybersecurity firm ESET said on Sept. 17.
ESET said the group, known as FamousSparrow, sharply increased its focus on Latin America beginning in mid-2025. Ninety percent of the group’s targets recorded in ESET telemetry from mid-2025 into 2026 were in the region.
Researchers observed a newly identified backdoor, called SparroWocky, deployed against government entities in Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
One of the Panamanian entities targeted was directly involved in a commercial dispute over the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, ESET said….