Microsoft Raises Alarm Over Chinese Cyberattack on Key US Infrastructures
Microsoft issued a warning that “Volt Typhoon,” a group of Chinese state-sponsored hackers, has successfully hacked crucial US cyberinfrastructure across a number of businesses in order to gather intelligence.
They gained access to these infrastructures by attacking the accounts the companies run. The threat actors carry out this activity as a form of reconnaissance and gather the credentials to these profiles.
Volt Typhoon also infiltrates business systems through a flaw in the widely used FortiGuard cybersecurity package, stealing user credentials to access other vital networks.
Microsoft Reveals the Aim of the Cyberattack
The tech giant claimed that the threat group aims to maintain its presence in these infrastructures and convert access to spying. However, there is speculation that the hackers are trying to sever or interrupt communications between the United States and Asia.
This is one of the continuous attacks Volt Typhoon is carrying out. Microsoft added that most of these attacks are in a bid to undermine crucial communication networks connecting America and Asia, impeding preparedness for potential future disasters.
The firm further stated that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have been running an ongoing campaign of cyberattacks against vital US infrastructure. It started in mid-2021 with notable success.
In response, Microsoft urged affected organizations to strengthen their defenses by immediately canceling or updating compromised account credentials.
Volt Typhoon is a Threat to Other Sectors
In what the tech giant describes as a nefarious act of espionage, it also pointed out that the attack is having a rippling effect across several sectors. This includes government agencies as well as the communications, transportation, and maritime sectors.
The hackers, who have a history of stealing sensitive and important data, continue to be a constant threat to US businesses. A renowned law firm, Covington and Burling, was hacked in 2020, possibly by the Chinese government.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in cooperation with foreign and domestic intelligence services, released a joint statement in response to this worrying development that highlighted the persistent risk that Chinese threats represent to American intellectual property.
