Cybersecurity firm Mandiant is a partner in at least six U.S. states. web It said it was targeted by hackers with China connections who exploited vulnerabilities in their software.
Notorious Chinese hacking group APT41 has targeted US states with a stubborn and adaptive campaign, according to a Mandiant report.
From last May to February this year, the group has hit at least 6 government networks by exploiting vulnerabilities in software for the Internet, including an animal health reporting application.
Cybersecurity firm Mandiant said the victims and data targeted by the hackers were “consistent with the spying operation”, but did not rule out that the motive was money, given the group’s “history of working overtime for personal financial gain.”
According to Mandiant, APT41 quickly adapted the attacks to take advantage of the new computer vulnerabilities announced.
For example, hours after Apache announced the critical flaw, hackers began to exploit it and attack the governments of at least two US states “in addition to their traditional targets in the insurance and telecom industries.”
US authorities accused the global hacking group of targeting the company’s servers for ransom, compromising government networks and spying on Hong Kong activists.
The US Department of Justice accused 7 members of the group, including 5 Chinese nationals, of involvement in the hacking of more than 100 companies worldwide in late 2020.
Targets have included computer manufacturers, telecom service providers, social media companies, video game companies, nonprofits, universities and think tanks, foreign governments and pro-democracy politicians.
A threat assessment report released this week by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence states that “China’in “We consider it to represent the largest, most active and persistent cyberespionage threat to government and private sector networks in the United States.”
Meanwhile, Google announced Tuesday that it has entered into a deal to acquire cybersecurity firm Mandiant for $5.4 billion, one of the tech giant’s largest ever acquisitions while developing its cloud computing offering.
Mandiant, which helps customers prepare for or respond to cyberattacks, is expected to join Google Cloud this year if the acquisition is approved by regulators.
Source: AFP
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