Chinese hackers have breached critical infrastructure in multiple locations, including Guam, a vital U.S. outpost in Taiwan-related conflicts, officials warned Tuesday.
In accordance with the findings of Microsoft researchers, it is believed that the intruders, although not causing any destruction to electronic data or equipment thus far, maybe laying the foundation to disrupt communication between North America and Asia in the event of a military conflict.
Critical Infrastructure Under Hackers Attack
In an unusual collaboration, U.S. agencies and their closest allies have jointly released a report advising organizations on how to identify signs of intrusion by the same group and strengthen their defense systems.
The intelligence alliance known as the Five Eyes, which includes Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, has also raised concerns about the potential targeting of their facilities.
John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google’s Mandiant Intelligence, has taken note of the identified actor who has been involved in a string of infiltrations, targeting transportation systems and other organizations. Hultquist suggests that while the motives for targeting critical infrastructure may vary, a sustained emphasis on these sectors could signify preparations for a detrimental cyberattack by hackers.
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Unveiling China’s Targeting Strategies
Both Russia and the United States have been involved in infiltrating networks in foreign countries, seeking to establish an ongoing presence without detection. Recently, the United States has taken steps to disclose more information about intrusions within its borders, in order to make it more challenging for adversaries and compel them to develop new techniques.
In this particular case, attributed to a Chinese group referred to as Volt Typhoon, detecting the intrusion is more difficult due to the hackers’ utilization of legitimate credentials and software commands to navigate through networks.
This technique, known as living off the land, is accompanied by intruders concealing their initial access by using small-office routers before reaching the Fortinet gear.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has confirmed these details, emphasizing the significance of today’s advisory.
CISA director Jen Easterly stated in a joint news statement that the advisory sheds light on China’s persistent use of sophisticated methods to target critical infrastructure, providing network defenders with crucial insights into detecting and mitigating such malicious activities.
Regarding the significance of Guam as a potential target, a spokesperson from CISA declined to provide further information.
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