Microsoft seizes 42 websites from a Chinese hacking group
3 years ago

Microsoft seizes 42 websites from a Chinese hacking group

Op India  

In a blog post, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Customer Security and Trust Tom Burt announced the disruption of a China-based hacking group that targeted firms in the United States and 28 other countries across the world. In documents that were unsealed today, a federal court in Virginia has granted our request to seize websites Nickel was using to attack organizations in the United States and 28 other countries around the world, enabling us to cut off Nickel’s access to its victims and prevent the websites from being used to execute attacks,” Burt said on Monday. Burt stated that Microsoft believes Nickel’s attacks on organisations spread across 29 countries were carried out to gather intelligence for government agencies, think tanks, and human rights organisations. Taking control of the malicious websites and transferring traffic to Microsoft’s protected servers will let the business better safeguard current and prospective victims while also learning more about Nickel’s operations, said the tech giant.

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History of this topic

Justice Department disrupts vast Chinese hacking operation that infected consumer devices
3 months ago

Justice Department disrupts vast Chinese hacking operation that infected consumer devices

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI has disrupted a group of hackers working at the direction of the Chinese government who targeted universities, government agencies and other organizations, Director Chris Wray said Wednesday. “Flax Typhoon’s actions caused real harm to its victims, who had to devote precious time to clean up the mess when they discovered the malware,” Wray said at the …

Scathing federal report rips Microsoft for shoddy security, insincerity in response to Chinese hack
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Scathing federal report rips Microsoft for shoddy security, insincerity in response to Chinese hack

The Hindu  

In a scathing indictment of Microsoft corporate security and transparency, a Biden administration-appointed review board issued a report Tuesday saying “a cascade of errors” by the tech giant let state-backed Chinese cyber operators break into email accounts of senior U.S. officials including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The panel made sweeping recommendations, including urging Microsoft to put on hold adding features …

Scathing federal report rips Microsoft for shoddy security, insincerity in response to Chinese hack
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Scathing federal report rips Microsoft for shoddy security, insincerity in response to Chinese hack

Associated Press  

BOSTON — In a scathing indictment of Microsoft corporate security and transparency, a Biden administration-appointed review board issued a report Tuesday saying “a cascade of errors” by the tech giant let state-backed Chinese cyber operators break into email accounts of senior U.S. officials including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The panel made sweeping recommendations, including urging Microsoft to put on hold …

Explainer | What we know about China's alleged state-backed hacking
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Explainer | What we know about China's alleged state-backed hacking

New Indian Express  

BEIJING: Multiple Western nations have accused hacking groups backed by China of a global campaign of cyber espionage targeting critics, democratic institutions and other sensitive business targets. The revelations shed further light on Beijing's state-backed hacking operations, which the US has said are the biggest of any country. Here's what we know about Beijing's alleged state-backed hacking operations: 'Persistent threat' …

PICTURED: Seven Chinese government-backed hackers who stole private information from MILLIONS of Americans and launched cyberattacks against the Navy and politicians (and they're from WUHAN!)
8 months, 4 weeks ago

PICTURED: Seven Chinese government-backed hackers who stole private information from MILLIONS of Americans and launched cyberattacks against the Navy and politicians (and they're from WUHAN!)

Daily Mail  

The US Treasury Department levied sanctions on a Chinese firm Monday, accusing it of being a front company for 'dangerous and irresponsible' state- The announcement came on top of seven indictments issued by the Department of Justice accusing seven men affiliated with that company, Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd., of 'malicious cyber operations.' The US Treasury Department levied …

US and UK go after Chinese hackers accused of state-backed operation against politicians, dissidents
8 months, 4 weeks ago

US and UK go after Chinese hackers accused of state-backed operation against politicians, dissidents

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Hackers linked to the Chinese government launched a sweeping, state-backed operation that targeted U.S. officials, journalists, corporations, pro-democracy activists and the U.K.'s election watchdog, American and British authorities said Monday in announcing a set of criminal charges and sanctions. “The Justice Department will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese government to intimidate Americans who serve the public, silence …

Did a Chinese hacker group target US infrastructure?
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Did a Chinese hacker group target US infrastructure?

Firstpost  

The FBI has said that a Chinese state hacker group targeted US infrastructure, and the US has managed to dismantle the efforts to target key public infrastructure such as the power grid and pipelines. Here’s what we know about Beijing’s hacking operations: Washington has warned that China represents “the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat” to its government …

Chinese hackers steal 60,000 State Department emails, says US Senate Staffer
1 year, 2 months ago

Chinese hackers steal 60,000 State Department emails, says US Senate Staffer

Live Mint  

A US Senate staffer has said that Chinese hackers who subverted Microsoft's email platform earlier this year managed to steal tens of thousands of emails from the country's State Department accounts, Reuters has reported. While attending a briefing of the State Department officials, he said officials told lawmakers that 60,000 emails were stolen from 10 different State Department accounts. Earlier …

Microsoft says compromised engineer's account led to Chinese hack of U.S. officials
1 year, 3 months ago

Microsoft says compromised engineer's account led to Chinese hack of U.S. officials

The Hindu  

The recently disclosed Chinese hack of senior officials at the U.S. State and Commerce departments stemmed from the compromise of a Microsoft engineer's corporate account, Microsoft Corp. said in a blog post on Wednesday. Microsoft said the engineer's account had been penetrated by a hacking group it dubs Storm-0558, which is alleged to have stolen hundreds of thousands of emails …

Chinese hackers breached U.S. government emails on eve of Blinken visit, officials say
1 year, 5 months ago

Chinese hackers breached U.S. government emails on eve of Blinken visit, officials say

The Hindu  

State-backed Chinese hackers foiled Microsoft's cloud-based security in hacking the email accounts of officials at multiple U.S. agencies that deal with China ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing last month, officials said Wednesday. In a technical advisory Wednesday and a call with reporters, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI said Microsoft determined …

Chinese government hackers SPIED on the State Department
1 year, 5 months ago

Chinese government hackers SPIED on the State Department

Daily Mail  

State-backed Chinese hackers foiled Microsoft's cloud-based security in hacking the email accounts of officials at multiple U.S. agencies that deal with China ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing last month, officials said Wednesday. U.S. government emails were hacked by a Chinese state- The State Department building in Washington, D.C. State Department officials discovered that state-backed Chinese …

China-based hackers have breached government and individual email accounts, Microsoft says
1 year, 5 months ago

China-based hackers have breached government and individual email accounts, Microsoft says

The Hindu  

China called a Microsoft report that a China-based hacking group breached government-linked email accounts “disinformation,” saying Wednesday that the accusation was meant to divert attention from U.S. cyber activities. In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft said the group, which it identified as Storm-0558, gained access to email accounts linked to 25 organizations, including Western European government agencies. A Washington …

Chinese hackers breached State Dept., other government email on eve of Blinken visit, officials say
1 year, 5 months ago

Chinese hackers breached State Dept., other government email on eve of Blinken visit, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — State-backed Chinese hackers foiled Microsoft’s cloud-based security in hacking the email accounts of officials at multiple U.S. agencies that deal with China ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing last month, officials said Wednesday. In a technical advisory Wednesday and a call with reporters, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI said …

Microsoft says China-linked hackers accessed government emails
1 year, 5 months ago

Microsoft says China-linked hackers accessed government emails

Al Jazeera  

China rejects allegations that its hackers targeted Western accounts, accusing the US of spreading ‘disinformation’. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan appeared to confirm the allegations on Wednesday, saying that the United States had detected a breach of federal government accounts “fairly rapidly” and is investigating the matter. “It is high time that the US explained its cyberattack activities …

Chinese state hackers attacked several organisations, possibly US govt agencies as well
1 year, 6 months ago

Chinese state hackers attacked several organisations, possibly US govt agencies as well

Firstpost  

The global hacking campaign that saw hackers breaking into several US federal agencies, may have been organised by China. Chinese state According to cybersecurity firm Mandiant, a major cyber espionage campaign targeting government agencies linked to Beijing is being conducted by online attackers with clear connections to China. Mandiant’s Chief Technology Officer, Charles Carmakal, described it as the most extensive …

US-China trade barbs on disinformation cyberscape
1 year, 6 months ago

US-China trade barbs on disinformation cyberscape

Firstpost  

China and the US have been going at each other in the tech space for quite some time now. Microsoft has warned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have compromised “critical” US cyberinfrastructure across numerous industries with a focus on gathering intelligence. The Chinese hacking group, codenamed “Volt Typhoon,” has operated since mid-2021 and is apparently working to disrupt “critical communications infrastructure …

U.S., Microsoft warn Chinese hackers attacking 'critical' infrastructure
1 year, 6 months ago

U.S., Microsoft warn Chinese hackers attacking 'critical' infrastructure

The Hindu  

State- Microsoft highlighted Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean with a vital military outpost, as one of the targets, but said "malicious" activity had also been detected elsewhere in the United States. The stealthy attack - carried out by a China- "Microsoft assesses with moderate confidence that this Volt Typhoon campaign is pursuing development of capabilities that could …

Microsoft: State-sponsored Chinese hackers could be laying groundwork for disruption
1 year, 7 months ago

Microsoft: State-sponsored Chinese hackers could be laying groundwork for disruption

Associated Press  

BOSTON — State-backed Chinese hackers have been targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and could be laying the technical groundwork for the potential disruption of critical communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises, Microsoft said Wednesday. Microsoft said in a blog post that the state- Separately, the National Security Agency, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and their …

Microsoft says China-sponsored hackers targeted infrastructure
1 year, 7 months ago

Microsoft says China-sponsored hackers targeted infrastructure

Al Jazeera  

US tech giant says attacks targeted communications and other infrastructure in Guam and elsewhere. Taipei, Taiwan – Microsoft and the “Five Eyes” network of Western intelligence partners have accused Chinese state- Volt Typhoon, a Chinese state- Microsoft said in a separate statement the campaign had been active since mid-2021 and targeted the manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology …

China-Backed Winnti Group Behind Major Cyber Espionage, Finds Israel-American Firm
2 years, 7 months ago

China-Backed Winnti Group Behind Major Cyber Espionage, Finds Israel-American Firm

News 18  

An Israeli-American cybersecurity firm has claimed that a China-backed group has carried out a massive hacking operation for intellectual property theft and industrial espionage across three continents. For example, an attack against Gravity, the South Korean games business behind the long-running Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Ragnarok Online, revealed the group’s hallmark, according to a threat report published in 2020. …

Microsoft says it seized websites used by China-based hacking group
3 years ago

Microsoft says it seized websites used by China-based hacking group

The Hindu  

Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit has seized control of 42 websites operated by a China-based hacking group dubbed Nickel, disrupting their ongoing attacks targeting organisations globally, the company said in a blog post. “Obtaining control of the malicious websites and redirecting traffic from those sites to Microsoft’s secure servers will help us protect existing and future victims while learning more about …

Microsoft: Russian-backed hackers targeting cloud services
3 years, 1 month ago

Microsoft: Russian-backed hackers targeting cloud services

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Microsoft said Monday the same Russia-backed hackers responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds breach continue to attack the global technology supply chain and have been relentlessly targeting cloud service companies and others since summer. The group, which Microsoft calls Nobelium, has employed a new strategy to piggyback on the direct access that cloud service resellers have to their …

US indicts four Chinese nationals in a China-backed global hacking campaign
3 years, 5 months ago

US indicts four Chinese nationals in a China-backed global hacking campaign

Op India  

Four Chinese security officials have been indicted by a U.S. grand jury in a China-backed global espionage campaign, targeting dozens of companies, universities, government agencies in the US and at least 11 other countries, between July 2009 to September 2018. On July 19, the San Diego’s US Attorney’s Office and the FBI said the four Chinese nationals were working with …

How will China face hacking accusations?
3 years, 5 months ago

How will China face hacking accusations?

Al Jazeera  

The US and a number of its Western allies blame China for an alleged cyberattack. In a unified condemnation of China regarding cyberattacks, the United States, the European Union, NATO and other world powers all said Beijing was responsible for an attack on Microsoft servers earlier this year. Nations including Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan said Chinese state-linked hacking …

Microsoft Exchange hack caused by China, US and allies say
3 years, 5 months ago

Microsoft Exchange hack caused by China, US and allies say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration and Western allies formally blamed China on Monday for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software and asserted that criminal hackers associated with the Chinese government have carried out ransomware and other illicit cyber operations. The EU said malicious cyber activities with “significant effects” that targeted government institutions, political organizations and key industries …

How China’s Hacking Entered a Reckless New Phase
54 years, 11 months ago

How China’s Hacking Entered a Reckless New Phase

Wired  

For years, China seemed to operate at the quieter end of the state- On Monday, the White House joined the UK government, the EU, NATO, and governments from Japan to Norway in announcements that spotlighted a string of Chinese hacking operations, and the US Department of Justice separately indicted four Chinese hackers, three of whom are believed to be officers …

US, UK and allies tie Chinese government to Microsoft hack
3 years, 5 months ago

US, UK and allies tie Chinese government to Microsoft hack

Al Jazeera  

The group of nations said the Chinese government has been the mastermind behind a series of malicious ransomware, data theft and cyber-espionage attacks against public and private entities. The U.S., U.K. and their allies formally attributed the Microsoft Exchange hack to actors affiliated with the Chinese government and accused the Chinese government of a broad array of “malicious cyber activities,” …

Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers
3 years, 5 months ago

Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers

The Hindu  

Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers. "A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that Microsoft identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed Microsoft customer support tools to review information regarding your Microsoft Services subscriptions," the warning reads in part. After commenting on a broader …

China’s Microsoft hack, Russia’s solar winds attack threaten to overwhelm US
3 years, 9 months ago

China’s Microsoft hack, Russia’s solar winds attack threaten to overwhelm US

Live Mint  

China’s global attack on Microsoft’s popular email software revealed last week and an equally sprawling Russian attack discovered three months ago have created a two-front war that threatens to overwhelm cybersecurity’s emergency responders, according to former US officials and private security firms. And the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in an emergency advisory Monday described hackers’ exploitation of the …

Microsoft exchange hack: China still part of Microsoft’s game plan, even after Hafnium incident
3 years, 9 months ago

Microsoft exchange hack: China still part of Microsoft’s game plan, even after Hafnium incident

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — Microsoft has blamed a huge attack on its Exchange email service on a group linked to China. The company said the group is “assessed to be state- A US official recently told CNN that as many as 250,000 Microsoft customers were hit by the attack, and the White House has deemed it an “active threat.” …

EU Banking Regulator Hit by Email System Hack, Microsoft Blames it on Chinese Group
3 years, 9 months ago

EU Banking Regulator Hit by Email System Hack, Microsoft Blames it on Chinese Group

News 18  

The European Banking Authority, a key EU financial regulator, says it has fallen victim to a hack of its Microsoft email system which the US company blames on a Chinese group. Microsoft said last week that a state- The “Hafnium” group was a “highly skilled and sophisticated actor,” it said. In a statement issued late Sunday, the EBA confirmed the …

Accounts of thousands of Microsoft users around the world hacked, attack reportedly linked to China
3 years, 9 months ago

Accounts of thousands of Microsoft users around the world hacked, attack reportedly linked to China

Firstpost  

Microsoft Outlook users worldwide were reportedly hacked recently. The attack started with “a Chinese government-backed hacking group” and has affected 60,000 users globally, reported Bloomberg. These users mostly include small or medium-sized businesses like banks and electricity providers, senior citizen homes and an ice cream company. Hafnium is a Chinese hacking group that is apparently breaking into private and government …

Chinese cyber-espionage unit on US hacking spree: report
3 years, 9 months ago

Chinese cyber-espionage unit on US hacking spree: report

Deccan Chronicle  

SAN FRANCISCO: At least 30,000 US organizations including local governments have been hacked in recent days by an "unusually aggressive" Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, according to a computer security specialist. The campaign has exploited recently discovered flaws in Microsoft Exchange software, stealing email and infecting computer servers with tools that let attackers take control remotely, Brian Krebs said in a post …

Microsoft says Chinese hackers are exploiting mail server vulnerabilities
3 years, 9 months ago

Microsoft says Chinese hackers are exploiting mail server vulnerabilities

The Hindu  

Microsoft said on Tuesday a Chinese state- Hackers used flaws in the software to gain access to email accounts via on-premise Exchange servers. According to Microsoft, Hafnium operates mostly using leased virtual private servers in the U.S., and primarily targets entities in the country across several industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defence contractors, policy …

Microsoft Says Chinese Hackers Targeted Groups via Server Software
3 years, 9 months ago

Microsoft Says Chinese Hackers Targeted Groups via Server Software

News 18  

A China-linked cyberespionage group has been remotely plundering email inboxes using freshly discovered flaws in Microsoft mail server software, the company and outside researchers said on Tuesday – an example of how commonly used programs can be exploited to cast a wide net online. In a blog post, Microsoft said the hacking campaign made use of four previously undetected vulnerabilities …

Microsoft: China-based hackers found bug to target US firms
3 years, 9 months ago

Microsoft: China-based hackers found bug to target US firms

Associated Press  

China-based government hackers have exploited a bug in Microsoft’s email server software to target U.S. organizations, the company said Tuesday. Microsoft said that a “highly skilled and sophisticated” state- Microsoft said it has released security upgrades to fix the vulnerabilities to its Exchange Server software, which is used for work email and calendar services, mostly for larger organizations that have …

Microsoft Exchange server attacked by Hafnium, company says
3 years, 9 months ago

Microsoft Exchange server attacked by Hafnium, company says

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — Microsoft says that a sophisticated group of hackers linked to China has exploited its popular email service that allowed them to gain access to computers. In a blog post Tuesday, the company said that four vulnerabilities in its software allowed hackers to access servers for Microsoft Exchange, “which enabled access to email accounts, and allowed …

Chinese hackers stole cyber weapon from America, then used it against Microsoft Windows
3 years, 10 months ago

Chinese hackers stole cyber weapon from America, then used it against Microsoft Windows

India Today  

Chinese hackers stole a highly capable tool originally developed by the National Security Agency and used it in a different form to target several US-based companies, a new report has claimed. Security researchers at the Israeli cybersecurity firm, Check Point Research, have said they have found evidence a state- APT-3, the hacking group Lockheed Martin, one of the premier defense …

Suspected Chinese hackers breach US government via SolarWinds bug
3 years, 10 months ago

Suspected Chinese hackers breach US government via SolarWinds bug

Al Jazeera  

FBI investigators found that a federal payroll agency inside the US Department of Agriculture was among the organisations affected by a recent hack, potentially compromising government employees’ sensitive data. Suspected Chinese hackers exploited a flaw in software made by SolarWinds Corp to help break into United States government computers last year, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters news …

Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies
4 years ago

Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies

NPR  

Microsoft Says 40 Customers Hit By Ongoing Hack Of Government Agencies Enlarge this image toggle caption Altaf Qadri/AP Altaf Qadri/AP Microsoft President Brad Smith has called the ever-growing hacking campaign into a U.S. tech firm that was discovered this week "a moment of reckoning." Smith said 40 of Microsoft's customers were also hit by the breach because they had the …

Microsoft says hackers from Russia, North Korea attacked COVID-19 vaccine makers
4 years, 1 month ago

Microsoft says hackers from Russia, North Korea attacked COVID-19 vaccine makers

The Hindu  

Microsoft on Friday said cyberattacks originating in Russia and North Korea targeted pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccine. Seven leading pharma firms and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the United States were targeted in the attack. Other targeted organisations have contracts with or investments from government agencies for COVID-19 related work. Microsoft has blamed attacks on three …

APT41: The China-based hacking operation spanning the world
4 years, 3 months ago

APT41: The China-based hacking operation spanning the world

India Today  

A global hacking collective known as APT41 has been accused by US authorities of targeting company servers for ransom, compromising government networks and spying on Hong Kong activists. In one case documented by security company FireEye, APT41 sent emails containing malicious software to human resources employees of a target company just three days after the firm recovered from a previous …

US charges 5 Chinese, 2 Malaysian citizens with hacking over 100 companies; India, Vietnam, UK networks targetted
4 years, 3 months ago

US charges 5 Chinese, 2 Malaysian citizens with hacking over 100 companies; India, Vietnam, UK networks targetted

Firstpost  

In the attacks, the conspirators installed ‘Cobalt Strike’ malware on Indian government-protected computers, the indictment said Washington: The US Justice Department has charged five Chinese citizens with hacking over a 100 companies and institutions in America and abroad, including the Indian government’s networks, and stealing valuable software data and business intelligence. Deputy US Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen on Wednesday announced …

U.S. charges five Chinese nationals with hacking 100 entities including Indian government networks
4 years, 3 months ago

U.S. charges five Chinese nationals with hacking 100 entities including Indian government networks

The Hindu  

The U.S. Justice Department has charged five Chinese citizens with hacking over a 100 companies and institutions in America and abroad, including the Indian government’s networks, and stealing valuable software data and business intelligence. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen on Wednesday announced three indictments have been unsealed in the matter that collectively charge five Chinese nationals with computer hacking …

Chinese hackers targeted major UK companies as coronavirus raged
4 years, 5 months ago

Chinese hackers targeted major UK companies as coronavirus raged

Wired  

Getty Images / WIRED As coronavirus tore through Europe in March and April, so did hackers acting on behalf of the Chinese government. Looking to make the most of organisations scrambling to respond to the health crisis, criminals working for China attacked private companies, research institutions, and governments across the world. State- Hackers working for the group known as Advanced …

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