Microsoft Says China-sponsored Hackers Targeted Infrastructure
KABUL (BNA) 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.
The targets include sites in Guam, where the U.S. has a major military presence, the company said.
Hostile activity in cyberspace — from espionage to the advanced positioning of malware for potential future attacks — has become a hallmark of modern geopolitical rivalry.
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 and education sectors in Guam and elsewhere in the US.
China, meanwhile, accused the US and its allies of waging a “disinformation campaign”.
Beijing has pledged to “reunify” with Taiwan by 2049 and has not ruled out the use of force.
The US is treaty-bound to help Taiwan defend itself and its military bases in Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, and elsewhere in Asia would likely play a key role during any political or military crisis.
Microsoft said the campaign uses phishing and other techniques to “perform espionage and maintain access without being detected for as long as possible”.
The reported cyber-intrusion comes months after the US in February shot down a Chinese spy balloon believed to be collecting information about US military and nuclear sites, straining already fraught US-China relations.
Beijing denied the allegations of spying and said the balloon was for civilian use.
W/A
The post Microsoft Says China-sponsored Hackers Targeted Infrastructure first appeared on Bakhtar News Agency.
Source: Bakhtar News Agency
