In a joint report, Microsoft and Western intelligence agencies revealed that a group of Chinese political hackers had spied on a wide range of critical US infrastructure organizations, from telecommunications to transportation hubs.
The report also mentions that the island of Guam, a strategically important US territory due to its military bases, was the target of these cyberattacks. Experts say this is one of the most important features of Chinese cyber-research campaigns against critical US infrastructure.
Faced with the accusations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning called the hacking allegations a “collective disinformation campaign” by the Five Nations Confederation (United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK), stating that the Microsoft report shows. The US government is expanding its information channels beyond government agencies. Mao also stated that the United States was using “government hacking” in terms of methods.
While the number of organizations affected is not yet known, the US National Security Agency (NSA) is working in collaboration with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to identify intrusions. He warned that Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand could also be targets of Chinese hackers.
Microsoft analysts said they were “moderately confident” this Chinese group, which they called “Volt Typhoon,” could develop capabilities that could disrupt critical communications between the United States and the Asian region in future crises.
Security experts warn that Chinese hackers could target military networks and other critical infrastructure if China invades Taiwan amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.
