Volt Typhoon: Chinese hacker group repelled but danger not over

US officials announced they had dismantled the Chinese hacking group Volt Typhoon, which attacked political infrastructure, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned of future threats if the two superpowers ever went to war.

See also: Chinese hackers target semiconductor companies

The Volt Typhoon hacker group, allegedly funded by the Chinese, is reportedly seeking to cause damage to public sector facilities, such as water treatment plants, the power grid, oil and gas pipelines, and transportation systems, at the behest of China.

FBI Director Christopher Wraywarned Wednesday that Beijing would position itself to disrupt Americans' daily lives if the U.S. and China ever go to war, as he spoke before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

He said there has been very little public attention to a cyber threat that affects “every American.”

hackers are breaching American infrastructure in order to cause chaos and cause real harm to American citizens and communities if China decides it's time to strike, Wray added.

According to the FBI, Chinese hackers managed to compromise a botnet of hundreds of small office and home routers owned by individuals and companies in the US, aiming to cover their tracks while spreading malware.

Routers were easy targets as they were no longer supported by security patches or software updates from their manufacturer. This was just one of the methods hackers used to distract from their activity.

The Volt Typhoon hackers had also infiltrated through other channels, including cloud and internet providers , presenting themselves as normal traffic.

Notable targets included water treatment facilities, electrical infrastructure, and transportation systems across the United States.

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FBI and Justice Department officials were able to disrupt at least part of the Volt Typhoon operation after obtaining search and seizure warrants in federal court in Houston, Texas, in December.

In recent years, the United States has demonstrated increased aggressiveness in its effort to thwart and weaken criminal and state-sponsored cyberattacks.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Security Infrastructure Division of the US Department of Homeland Security, said too little attention is being paid to a cyberthreat that could affect all Americans, causing “social panic and chaos” and hindering the country’s ability to “adequately respond” in critical times.

Wray warned that Beijing-backed hackers are aiming to steal trade secrets to boost the Chinese economy and steal personal information for foreign influence campaigns.

Cybersecurity companies, including Microsoft, had already warned in May that Chinese state-backed hackers had attacked critical infrastructure, preparing for future crises.

See also: Chinese hackers accidentally infected a European hospital with malware

What are the implications of a Chinese cyber threat on the international community?

The Chinese cyber threat has many implications for the international community.

• First, a cyber threat from China could lead to significant loss of intellectual property and trade secrets from companies and organizations around the world.
• Second, a Chinese cyber threat could lead to disruptions to digital infrastructure, such as electrical grids, telecommunications networks, and IT systems, which could cause significant economic losses and disruptions to daily life.
• Third, a Chinese cyber threat could have implications for the national security of countries, as cyberattacks can be used for espionage, disinformation, and influencing political processes.
• Finally, a Chinese cyber threat could lead to increased political tension and competition between China and other countries, as cyberattacks can be seen as attacks on the sovereignty and security of nations.

Source: aljazeera