China-backed hackers have infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks. That reports software company Microsoft Wednesday in a report endorsed by the intelligence agencies of the United States and Western allies. Analysts say it is “one of the largest discovered Chinese cyber espionage campaigns against US critical infrastructure.” China has not responded to the allegations.
The espionage by the group, also known as Volt Typhoon, targeted the American island of Guam, among others, Microsoft said in the report. Guam is a critical military base, where the US has stationed fighter jets. According to the software company, Volt Typhoon has been operating since 2021 with the aim of “carrying out espionage and accessing it for as long as possible without being detected”.
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It is not clear how many organizations in total have been affected. Microsoft does report that attacked companies are active in the maritime sector, governments and information technology, among others. Microsoft’s findings are endorsed by US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and UK authorities.
According to Microsoft, Volt Typhoon wants to be able to disrupt the communication infrastructure between the US and Asia in future crises, but the company is not sure whether the hackers can do that now. Earlier this year, the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) warned that Dutch companies and knowledge institutions are also targets of Chinese espionage on a large scale. The intelligence service discovered and prevented several Chinese attempts last year to obtain Dutch military and space technology.