Summary:
According to Reuters, the US Justice Department and FBI have reportedly taken action against Chinese state-sponsored hackers attempting to infiltrate American critical infrastructure. Over several months, law enforcement conducted operations authorized by a court order, to disable parts of the Chinese hacking campaign. This campaign, known as Volt Typhoon, was revealed in May 2023 after it was found that the hackers accessed US critical infrastructure networks as far back as 2021.

The group typically exploits vulnerable internet facing devices to gain access, steal credentials, and maintain persistence on systems. Concerns have been raised about the potential for these hackers to disrupt US critical networks, including military installations and utilities.

Security Officer Comments:

The reported takedown follows a directive from CISA to address vulnerabilities, which were reportedly hacked by Chinese state-sponsored attackers. While the exploits were not directly attributed to a specific group, there is ongoing concern about Chinese-backed criminals targeting government networks and vulnerable devices.

Suggested Corrections:
Organizations can make APT groups’ lives more difficult. Here’s how: