China-backed hackers have infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks. This is reported by intelligence services of the United States, several Western allies and software company Microsoft Wednesday. Analysts say it is “one of the largest discovered Chinese cyber espionage campaigns against US critical infrastructure.” China has not responded to the allegations.
Read also: US: Chinese ‘surveillance balloon’ was actually heading for military bases in Hawaii and Guam
The group’s espionage, also known as Volt Typhoon, targeted the American island of Guam, among others, Microsoft said in the report. Guam is a crucial military base, where the US has stationed fighter jets, among other things. According to the software company, Volt Typhoon has been operating since 2021 with the aim of “carrying out espionage and accessing it for as long as possible without being detected”. It is not clear how many organizations have been affected in total, but Microsoft does report that they are active in the maritime sector, government and information technology, among others. Microsoft’s findings are endorsed by US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and UK authorities.
According to Microsoft, Volt Typhoon wants to be able to disrupt the communication infrastructure between the US and Asia in future crises, but the company is not sure whether the hackers can do that now.
Earlier this year, the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) warned that Dutch companies and knowledge institutions are also targets of Chinese espionage on a large scale. The intelligence service discovered and prevented several Chinese attempts last year to obtain Dutch military and space technology.
#Microsoft #Chinabacked #hacker #group #spied #critical #infrastructure