China-linked APT targets US military comms as South China Sea tensions grow

https://www.scmagazine.com/ ^ | 5/25/2023 | Simon Hendery

[RomanSoldier19]

With tensions rising in the South China Sea, there are fears a China-linked advanced persistent threat group’s (APT) infiltration of critical U.S. infrastructure could be a precursor to an attack on Western military communication links in Asia.

Microsoft has discovered a “stealthy and targeted” campaign affecting organizations across a range of industries, carried out by what it says is a state-sponsored China-based APT group.

The group, which Microsoft calls Volt Typhoon, has been active since mid-2021 and has successfully targeted critical infrastructure organizations in Guam and elsewhere in the United States.

“Microsoft assesses with moderate confidence that this Volt Typhoon campaign is pursuing development of capabilities that could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during future crises,” the company said in an advisory issued May 24.

Organizations affected by Volt Typhoon’s campaign cover a range of sectors including communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology, and education, Microsoft said.

[RomanSoldier19]