Chinese hackers targeting the United States have managed to infiltrate government email accounts, as revealed by Microsoft on Tuesday evening. According to Microsoft’s blog post, approximately 25 organizations, including government agencies, fell victim to this hacking group. The hackers employed forged authentication tokens to gain access to individual email accounts, and they were able to maintain this access for about a month without being detected. No specific organizations or agencies affected were identified by Microsoft.
This breach appears to be less extensive compared to the SolarWinds hack, a notable intrusion by Russia into government computers between 2019 and 2020. Microsoft officials clarified that the recent hacking incident targeted a smaller number of email accounts and did not penetrate the targeted systems as deeply. Although the hackers did not gain access to classified networks, their month-long access to government email accounts could have provided them with valuable intelligence for the Chinese government and its intelligence services.
Charlie Bell, an executive vice president at Microsoft, stated in the blog post, “We assess this adversary is focused on espionage, such as gaining access to email systems for intelligence collection.” This type of espionage-driven adversary seeks to exploit credentials and access data within sensitive systems.
This hacking incident could further strain the relationship between China and the United States, particularly as the Biden administration endeavors to ease the heightened tensions fueled by recent incidents, including the transit of a Chinese spy balloon across the United States.
Critics may also argue that the Biden administration is not doing enough to deter Chinese espionage. Cliff Sims, a former spokesman for the director of national intelligence during the Trump administration, suggested that China had become more brazen due to President Biden’s lack of confrontation regarding Beijing’s attempts to influence recent elections. Sims emphasized the need for serious discussions on the extent of hacking tolerated before taking action.
According to Mr. Bell’s blog post, notifications were sent to those affected by the hack, and the company has completed its efforts to mitigate the attack.
On Tuesday, prior to Microsoft’s announcement, intelligence and national security agencies claimed they were unaware of any Chinese intrusion. The National Security Council spokesperson has not provided a comment as of Tuesday night in response to the hacking incident.
Microsoft became aware of the breach on June 16 due to information reported by their customers. The Chinese hacking group responsible for the attack had initiated their access to email accounts a month earlier on May 15. However, Microsoft did not disclose the number of compromised accounts or provide an assessment of the information that may have been compromised.
China boasts one of the world’s most aggressive and capable intelligence hacking operations. Over the years, Beijing has successfully executed a multitude of hacks, resulting in the theft of substantial amounts of government data. In 2015, hackers affiliated with China’s foreign spy service orchestrated a data breach that targeted the Office of Personnel Management, resulting in a massive records theft.
The SolarWinds hack, which occurred during the Trump administration, saw Russian intelligence agencies exploit a software vulnerability to infiltrate countless computer systems, including numerous government agencies. This hack derived its name from the network management software that Russian intelligence agencies utilized to compromise computers worldwide.
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