The Cold War of Cyberspace! China Accuses the United States of Hacking Defense Systems by Taking Advantage of a Microsoft Flaw
The Cold War of Cyberspace! China Accuses the United States of Hacking Defense Systems by Taking Advantage of a Microsoft Flaw
China has boldly escalated tensions in cyberdiplomacy by accusing the US of using a known weakness in Microsoft’s email servers to launch cyberattacks on its defense systems, the Cold War of Cyberspace. The Cyber Security Association of China said in a statement that U.S. actors used Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities to hack servers at important Chinese military-affiliated companies.
According to reports, the breaches remained undiscovered for almost a year, giving crucial information widespread access. Despite being relatively unknown, the association has the support of China’s formidable Cyberspace Administration, indicating that the state is very interested in the claim.
Microsoft: Both Nations Have Blamed Each Other
A pattern of reciprocal accusations is given a twist by this development. Microsoft, which has its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, has accused China in the past of being responsible for significant cyberattacks, such as the 2021 attack that compromised tens of thousands of Exchange servers and the 2023 attack that targeted email accounts belonging to the US government.
China is now reversing the narrative, claiming that the U.S. initially utilized the same weakness to attack Chinese defense systems to place the responsibility on Chinese forces.
U.S. Dismisses Specific Allegations, Maintains China’s Cyber Threat
Although the U.S. Embassy in Beijing did not address the specific allegations, it reaffirmed that China continues to pose “the most persistent cyber threat” to American interests. The embassy mentioned attacks by organizations with ties to the Chinese government, such as Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, which were alleged to have targeted espionage and vital infrastructure.
After a slew of U.S. indictments and sanctions against suspected Chinese hackers, U.S. cybersecurity experts pointed out that China’s latest claims might be a calculated retaliation.
A Geopolitical Cyber Blame Game
The continuation of the tit-for-tat: Three NSA workers were accused by China in April of hacking the Asian Winter Games and stealing private information. China has always avoided naming specific U.S. actors, but the United States has frequently indicted Chinese hackers and made public pronouncements about their activities.
Given that both nations utilize cyber attributions as instruments of geopolitical power, cybersecurity experts caution that this emerging trend may jeopardize international collaboration on cybercrime.
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blogs, he also writes for brands including Craw Security, Bytecode Security, and NASSCOM.
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