Microsoft said it believed a hacking group sponsored by a Chinese government was hacking by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in a Microsoft program.
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The US and allies on Monday publicly blamed hackers affiliated with the Chinese government for the Microsoft Exchange Server hack. These hackers hacked thousands of companies earlier this year. The move to publicly lash out at hackers linked to China is part of a broader effort by the US and its allies to put Beijing’s government in the dock for its abuse of ‘dragon’ in cyberspace.
The US, the European Union, England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and NATO on Monday accused China’s Ministry of Security (MSS) of using criminal ‘contract hackers’ to conduct ‘crypto-jacking’ and other such schemes. criticized. The US government has formally blamed cyber hackers linked to China’s MSS for exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Exchange Server application. Other countries also blamed hackers linked to the Chinese government for the cyber attack.
Hacking by a hacking group named HAFNIUM
Earlier in the past, Microsoft said that it believed that a hacking group known as ‘HAFNIUM’, a hacking group sponsored by the Chinese government, was taking advantage of vulnerabilities in a Microsoft program. was hacking. Hackers used zero-day exploits to attack variants of Microsoft’s Exchange Server application and hack victims’ email accounts.
China’s irresponsible behavior
During a call on Sunday evening, a senior official told reporters, “China’s pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace is contrary to its stated objective of being seen as a responsible leader in the world.” The FBI, the National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and CISA are set to disclose on Monday more than 50 tactics, techniques and procedures used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to hack networks in the US and other countries, as well as such There are also tips to avoid hacking.
America may act on China in future
Apart from lashing out at the Chinese government for aggression in cyberspace, the US is not expected to take any significant action to punish Beijing. But the door is being left open for future action. The Biden administration official said that the US and allies are not ruling out taking any further action to hold China accountable. We are pursuing a common cyber approach with our allies and have clear expectations on how responsible nations behave in cyberspace.
Four Chinese nationals accused of being involved in hacking
The US Justice Department on Monday morning announced charges against four Chinese nationals working with China’s MSS for participating in a global computer hacking campaign, including three officials from MSS’s provincial branch. However, these criminals are currently out of reach in China, which means they will not face prosecution until US authorities are able to extradite them. The official said the US is also aware of reports of hackers affiliated with MSS conducting ransomware operations against private companies.
Biden is tough on China
This development is likely to increase the tension between the US and China. President Joe Biden has scolded China for its human rights abuses, unfair economic practices and other behavior, and has essentially set its agenda to overthrow Beijing. Biden has also encouraged other countries to draw a hard line on China, including pressure on the Group of Seven (G7) to rebuke Beijing more strongly on human rights in the Xinjiang region during his first overseas visit last month. Includes pouring.
NATO condemns China’s cyber activities
NATO for the first time on Monday condemned the cyber activities of the Chinese government. “In line with our recent Brussels summit communiqué, we call on all states, including China, to uphold their international commitments and obligations and to act responsibly in the international system, including in cyberspace,” NATO said in a statement on Monday. We reiterate our desire to maintain a constructive dialogue with China on relevant areas such as cyber threats and common challenges, based on our coalition interests.
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