Chinese State-Linked Hackers Breach US Government and Microsoft Email Accounts

Chinese State-Linked Hackers Breach Email Accounts at U.S. Government Agencies and Microsoft

Chinese state-linked hackers have been secretly accessing email accounts at approximately 25 organizations, including at least two U.S. government agencies, according to Microsoft and U.S. officials. The breach, which began in May, involved the hacking group known as Storm-0558, which forged digital authentication tokens to access webmail accounts running on Microsoft’s Outlook service. The U.S. State and Commerce Departments confirmed that they were among the affected agencies.

The United States detected the breach of federal government accounts and managed to prevent further breaches, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. While the scope of the breach is not yet clear, a senior U.S. government official stated that it would be unfair to compare it to the SolarWinds compromise, a major cyberattack disclosed in late 2020 and attributed to Russian cyberspies.

Microsoft has contacted all targeted or compromised organizations directly and provided them with important information to aid in their investigation and response. The company did not disclose which organizations or governments were affected but noted that the hacking group primarily targets entities in Western Europe.

China’s embassy in London dismissed the accusation as “disinformation” and accused the U.S. government of being “the world’s biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief.” China routinely denies involvement in hacking operations.

The State Department and Commerce Department took immediate action to secure their systems after detecting anomalous activity. Private sector cybersecurity experts have noted that the recent hacking activity demonstrates the improving cyber capabilities of Chinese groups.

The breach highlights the ongoing challenges posed by state-sponsored cyberattacks and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and infrastructure.

Sources:
– Reuters: “Chinese hackers target 25 email accounts at U.S. government agencies” (July 12, 2022)

How do the recent hacking activities by Chinese groups highlight the need for robust cybersecurity measures

Chinese State-Linked Hackers Breach Email Accounts of U.S. Government Agencies and Microsoft

In a concerning cybersecurity incident, Chinese hackers with links to the state have managed to gain unauthorized access to email accounts at around 25 organizations, including two U.S. government agencies. This revelation comes from reports by both Microsoft and U.S. officials. The breach, which began back in May, was orchestrated by a well-known hacking group called Storm-0558. They used forged digital authentication tokens to infiltrate webmail accounts that run on Microsoft’s Outlook service. The U.S. State and Commerce Departments have confirmed that they are among the government agencies affected.

Fortunately, the United States detected the breach of federal government accounts in a timely manner and was able to prevent further damage. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan assured that the breach has been contained. However, the full extent of the breach is not yet known. A senior U.S. government official cautioned against comparing this incident with the major SolarWinds cyberattack that occurred last year and was attributed to Russian cyberspies.

Microsoft has taken swift action by directly contacting all the targeted or compromised organizations, providing them with crucial information to aid in their own investigations and response. While Microsoft did not disclose the specific organizations or governments affected, they did mention that the hacking group primarily targets entities in Western Europe.

In response to the accusations, China’s embassy in London dismissed them as “disinformation” and accused the U.S. government of being the “world’s biggest hacking empire and global cyber thief.” China has consistently denied any involvement in hacking operations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department and Commerce Department took immediate steps to secure their systems once the anomalous activity was detected. Cybersecurity experts in the private sector have pointed out that these recent hacking activities highlight the increasing cyber capabilities of Chinese groups.

The breach serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by state-sponsored cyberattacks and the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information and critical infrastructure.

Sources:

– Reuters: “Chinese hackers target 25 email accounts at U.S. government agencies” (July 12, 2022)