(Cyber)secure the Bag: APT41, 2020

novice Chinese/English committee

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

NOTE: Position papers for this committee should be written in English. If you have any questions, please email the Chair and Crisis Manager.

In this increasingly digital age, the Internet has become the weapon of choice for several illicit organizations—including APT41, a coordinated cybercrime group based in China. However, since cybersecurity company FireEye exposed the Chinese Communist Party’s probable sponsorship of APT41’s activities in 2019, the U.S. government has doubled down on its restrictions of the group, charging seven members in the following months for tampering with the media, government, and other such industries. As the rivalry between the U.S. and China heats up and APT41’s cyberespionage operations increasingly uphold the CCP’s political agenda, international cyberspace has only become that much more precarious. Delegates, as members of APT41 or senior government officials affiliated with the organization, will have the ability to periodically “hack” into other delegates’ private correspondence by identifying to crisis staff the position name of the intended target. Additionally, delegates will have the opportunity to guess which members of committee have caused the disruption leading to a crisis update through a puzzle or encoded message that will accompany each update and reveal a clue about the agitator’s identity upon its solution.

Novice Chinese Committee: This committee is designed to allow for Chinese language skills to be used by delegates, either to serve in-committee goals or to develop their personal skill. All staff are Chinese-speaking and have experience with Chinese political and cultural issues. It is recommended that delegates have some experience with Chinese to take full advantage, however staff will work with delegates to ensure the committee is tailored to their language needs. 

CHAIR: Hope tan

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Avoiding US Government Interdiction

Balancing Personal and State-Sponsored Goals

Implementing New Technologies & Infrastructure

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Experience the intricacies of cybersecurity and its increasing pertinence in international affairs, understanding the cyber threats posed by state-sponsored groups and the challenges of navigating a highly contested digital landscape.

• Explore the rapid evolution of cybertechnology and infrastructure, analyzing its impact on cyberwarfare capabilities and the need for constant adaptation to remain competitive in an ever-advancing cybersphere.

• Engage in a simulated power struggle within the hacking community, understanding the competition for control over the digital realm and the strategies employed by different hacking groups to establish dominance.

About the Chair

Hope Tan is a member of the Class of 2026 in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics and minoring in Creative Writing with a certificate in Asian Studies. Raised in Hong Kong, Hope has been involved in the international MUN circuit throughout middle school and high school as a delegate, chair, and secretariat member. Outside of MUN, Hope is an analyst for the Zeeba Investment Fund and sings acapella with the Georgetown Gracenotes. In her spare time, she loves to read, shoot film, and consume excessive amounts of poke bowls. During NAIMUN LX, she staffed the Indonesian National Revolution: Netherlands Indies Civil Administration committee, and at NAIMUN LXI she chaired the International Court of Justice, a committee she helped create on the Hong Kong circuit. Hope is thrilled to be chairing at NAIMUN LXII and is excited to meet all the delegates in February!

About the Crisis manager

Emma Hu is a member of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service Class of 2027, majoring in International Politics with a potential minor in Philosophy. Coming from McLean, Virginia (20 minutes away from DC), she has been a DMV local for seven years, and before that, she was raised in Shanghai, China. She started competing in her high school Model UN team in freshman year, had been a delegate at NAIMUN twice, and is still traveling today with the Georgetown Model UN team. This year will mark her second year staffing NAIMUN, as last year she was the director of the UNCSTD committee in ECOSOCs. Outside of MUN, Emma enjoys playing all sorts of card games with friends, updating her K-pop playlist, and watching premier league games during weekends (COYG!). She is more than excited to welcome you to first Chinese-English committee, and hopes you will have a nontraditional and fun weekend with us!