Information
The FBI announced it had disrupted a Chinese hacking group known as “Flax Typhoon,” which had targeted critical infrastructure in the United States. The group installed malware on thousands of devices, including computers, cameras, video recorders, and routers, creating a large botnet that compromised the networks of universities, government agencies, telecommunications providers, media organizations, and NGOs. The FBI identified the group as being operated by the Chinese company Integrity Technology Group, which allegedly gathered intelligence and conducted reconnaissance for the Chinese government. The group’s actions caused significant damage, forcing victims to spend valuable time cleaning up the malware.
Law enforcement agencies from Australia, Britain, and Canada also implicated the Integrity Technology Group in the botnet, claiming it compromised over 250,000 devices globally. FBI Director Chris Wray emphasized that while this disruption was a success, it is only one battle in a larger, ongoing conflict against cyber threats from China. He warned that the Chinese government would continue to target critical infrastructure directly or through proxies. In response, the Chinese embassy in Washington denied the accusations, insisting that Beijing opposes all forms of cyberattacks and criticized the U.S. for making groundless claims.
Source: Reuters, AP
So what
This is an integral part of hostile states’ grey zone activities, as demonstrated by China’s response, where they can just deny any association. Regardless of their response, it is highly likely that Chinese intelligence was, at a minimum, aware of their activities and likely that they influenced the group’s targets. Due to the levels of control that Chinese security services have over the internet and the general population in China, it is highly unlikely that a large hacking group can operate in the country without detection.
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