China Cyberattacked US Corporations Front Lines Taiwan Microsoft Guam


This week, news broke that China cyberattacked the US homeland. The attackers breached critical infrastructure in Guam, an often-forgotten US territory critical to US defense and power projection. The sophisticated attack infiltrated computer networks used for both civilian and military purposes. MicrosoftMSFT assessed with “moderate confidence” that the attackers are laying the groundwork for cyber capabilities that could threaten communications infrastructure in the future. The cyberattack is a serious event that presages a cruel reality of any future conflict with China—civilians are on the front lines, and corporations will need to defend them.

The cyberattack was revealed by Microsoft and the intelligence-sharing group known as the Five Eyes: the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Microsoft and agencies from each of the Five Eyes countries attributed the attack to a China-sponsored group called Volt Typhoon, which has targeted infrastructure organizations in Guam and the US since mid-2021. Volt Typhoon is capable of infiltrating corporate systems and stealing user credentials while avoiding detection for as long as possible. Microsoft directly notified customers who were targeted or compromised and provided necessary information to secure their businesses. China has denied the attack, calling it a “sophisticated disinformation campaign” by the Five Eyes.

Source…