U.S. denounces China-sponsored cyberattack

The US authorities in charge of online security denounced on May 25 a cyberattack of magnitude sponsored by China. In a separate statement, Microsoft said the attacks target "the communications, industrial, transportation, marine, government and information technology sectors."

Cyberattacks, the new war of the 21st century. © Pixabay / Elchinator

Text by: RFI Follow

Advertising

Read more

The United States and several of its allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand denounce in a joint report a cyber attack carried out by a malicious "group of activities" associated with "a cyber actor sponsored by the State of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Volt Typhoon". It would have affected "critical infrastructure".

Undetectable attacks

One of the targets is on the island of Guam where there is a major US military base in the Pacific Ocean, said the US group Microsoft, which added that these attacks target "the sectors of communications, industry, transport, marine, government and information technology". According to him, "the observed behavior suggests that the threat actor intends to engage in espionage and maintain access (to infrastructure) without being detected for as long as possible."

The so-called "Living off the Land" (LoTL) strategy would be used, meaning that the attacker exploits the tools and features already present in the targeted systems instead of using custom malware. According to cybersecurity experts, this type of intrusion is much more effective because it is less detectable. According to Microsoft, Volt Typhoon is trying to blend into normal network activity by routing traffic through infected network equipment in small businesses and remote workers, including routers, firewalls, and virtual private networks (VPNs).

«

Similar campaigns could take place around the world " warns Washington.

A disinformation campaign according to China

China reacted and accused the US of engaging in a "disinformation campaign." It is clear that this is a collective disinformation campaign by the countries of the Five Eyes coalition, launched by the United States for geopolitical purposes. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, told a news conference. This is a report that is seriously flawed and extremely unprofessional," she added. "As everyone knows, the Five Eyes Alliance is the world's largest intelligence organization, and the National Security Agency (NSA) is the world's largest hacking organization," Mao said.

► Read also: According to Seoul, a Chinese cyberattack was launched against South Korean sites

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Read on on the same topics:

  • United States
  • Computer science
  • Internet
  • Cybercrime
  • China
  • Information