SIS warns China is using job sites to extract sensitive information from Kiwis

The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) is warning the Chinese military is trying to extract sensitive information from New Zealanders through online job platforms and networking sites like LinkedIn.

New Zealand has joined its Five Eyes partners - Australia, the United Kingdom, United States and Canada - to highlight the "aggressive recruitment strategy".

The SIS said people who had access to "privileged or classified information" like national security clearance holders and those in the military were being targeted through the sites.

"A malicious approach often begins with an innocuous sounding request for something on a benign topic," its statement said.

"This progresses to requests on more sensitive areas such as military issues, international relations or insights on government decision making."

A Five Eyes bulletin, published online, further detailed what it said China's military intelligence services were doing.

"These actors use an aggressive online recruitment strategy whereby intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, think tanks or human resources (HR) firms, and place online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts (or similar).

"Successful candidates are pressured to provide "non-public" information for unspecified clients who are associated with the Chinese government."

It said China's military intelligence services sought to acquire "privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes".

NZSIS director general Andrew Hampton said that was espionage, and was an increasing concern for Five Eyes partners.

He warned people to be very careful about what information they put online.

"We're not saying don't use social media or professional networking sites - just don't tell the world you hold a national security clearance or work with sensitive government or military information," Hampton said.

"Be wary of unsolicited offers or approaches online that appear too good to be true, even if they seem legitimate."

He said the SIS would do everything it could to detect and disrupt the activity, but anyone with access to sensitive and classified information must understand they could be targeted.