According to Microsoft, the hackers, also known as Volt Typhoon, have been active since mid-2021. They are primarily focused on critical infrastructure on the island of Guam, an important US military outpost in the Pacific, and elsewhere in the US. The Volt Typhoon “aims to perform reconnaissance and maintain access as far as possible without detection,” the US company said in a statement.
Microsoft suspects that Volt Typhoon may want to disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the U.S. and Asia in future crises, but can’t assess whether hackers will be able to do so now. The company says the US companies blocked are in the maritime sector, government and information technology.
Microsoft’s findings were acknowledged in reports by authorities in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK, although Canada’s Cyber Security Agency said there had been no reports of Volt Typhoon hacking in that country so far. The US National Security Agency, the NSA, works with foreign partners and the FBI to detect breaches.
China has yet to respond to these allegations.
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