Is Taiwan the real target of Chinese hackers’ invasion of Guam? (Picture) Typhoon Volt | Spy | Intelligence | Infrastructure | Microsoft |

The Microsoft report states that the Chinese hacker group “Typhoon Volt” has compromised Guam’s infrastructure. The picture shows the Guam Naval Base. (Image credit: Getty Images)
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[Look at China, May 25, 2023](See comprehensive report by Chinese reporter Cai Siyun) Western intelligence agencies and Microsoft revealed a large-scale Chinese hacking incident on the 24th. Intelligence shows that a government-sponsored Chinese hacking group continues to spy on critical U.S. infrastructure agencies, with particularly worrisome instances of mysterious computer code appearing in telecommunications systems in places like Guam.
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Reuters and The New York Times reported that Microsoft said in its report that the code was installed by a Chinese government hacking group called Volt Typhoon. The incident sounded alarm bells because Guam, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific with a port and a large U.S. air base, would be at the center of any U.S. response in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait or a blockade of Taiwan.

It is unclear how many agencies were affected, but the NSA said it was working with partners including Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as the FBI, to identify The hacking incident.

Chinese hackers are well-known for spying on Western countries, but this is one of the largest known cyber-espionage operations against critical U.S. infrastructure.

“A Chinese-sponsored actor launched an off-the-ground attack, using built-in cyber tools to evade our defenses and leave no trace behind,” NSA cybersecurity director Rob Joyce said in a statement. traces.” Such “off-the-ground” espionage techniques are harder to detect because they “exploit capabilities that are already built into the critical infrastructure environment,” he added.

Microsoft stated that the Chinese group “Volt Typhoon” has been operating since at least 2021, targeting many industries, including communications, manufacturing, utilities, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology, and education. It is different from traditional hacking techniques, such as tricking victims into downloading malicious files, but by infecting victims’ existing systems to mine and retrieve data. But so far, there is no evidence that the group has used this access channel for any offensive attacks.

Communications networks are often high-profile targets for hackers, and Guam-related systems are particularly important to China because military communications often ride on commercial systems.

The focus of Chinese hacking on Guam has particularly drawn the attention of officials assessing China’s ability and willingness to invade and blockade Taiwan.

Among the dozens of U.S. military pushes against the CCP’s invasion of Taiwan in recent years, it is expected that one of China’s first actions will be to cut off U.S. communications and delay its response. As such, Bingtui envisions attacks on satellites and ground communications, especially around U.S. installations where military assets would be mobilized, most notably on Guam. Many U.S. Air Force missions to help defend Taiwan begin at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, a naval port that is equally important to U.S. submarines.

Expert: China’s Spy Network Is Overwhelming

Intelligence officials and experts pointed out that the threat to the security of the United States and the world comes from the spy network that China has secretly laid down for many years and spreads all over Western society, and the response must be strengthened.

“Voice of America” ​​reported that James Comer, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, said on February 12 that the CCP has stolen billions of dollars worth of U.S. intellectual property and has a “huge spies” in U.S. institutions. net,” these problems are bigger than spy balloons.

Former CIA official Larry Pfeiffer said that China’s espionage ambitions are very large. The balloon surveillance program appears to be part of a larger integrated intelligence-gathering network that also includes spy satellites collecting signals and images, and Chinese spies collecting information from people’s assets.

He revealed: “Chinese intelligence services take a multi-pronged approach to the United States, targeting various sectors—political, military, academic, scientific, and economic.” He suggested that the United States cultivate more intelligence personnel familiar with China and invest in more human resources. Smart tool to process and analyze the collected materials.

Dan Garrett, a former senior intelligence analyst at the U.S. Department of Defense, said the U.S. needs to actively increase counterintelligence and counterintelligence resources to detect, deter and disrupt China’s intelligence operations.

Paul Kolbe, former director of the intelligence program at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs, warned that the number of Chinese hackers working on behalf of the Chinese government and state security agencies is staggering, and its scale dwarfs that of any Western government. He believes the U.S. should examine the full scope of Chinese intelligence-gathering activities, including spies planted within the U.S. government and companies.

Source: Watch China

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