A Chinese-sponsored "cyber actor" has infiltrated the critical infrastructure networks of the United States, Washington, its Western allies and Microsoft said Wednesday (May 24th), warning that similar campaigns could take place around the world.
In a joint opinion, cybersecurity authorities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand warned of "a group of activities" associated with "a state-sponsored cyber actor of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Volt Typhoon." "This activity affects the networks of critical infrastructure sectors in the United States" and the entity carrying out the attack "could apply the same techniques (...) worldwide," they added.
In a separate statement, Microsoft explained that "Volt Typhoon" has been active since mid-2021 and has targeted, among other things, critical infrastructure on the island of Guam, which hosts a major US military base in the Pacific Ocean.
The campaign risks "disrupting critical communications infrastructure between the United States and the Asian region in future crises," Microsoft warned. "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 company added.
With AFP
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