China rejects claim of spying on Western critical infrastructure, calls US ‘empire of hacking’
1 min read 25 May 2023, 04:57 PM ISTChinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that alerts issued by the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were intended to promote their intelligence alliance, known as the Five Eyes - and that it was Washington that was guilty of hacking.
PremiumThe Chinese government has accused the United States and its allies of spreading 'disinformation campaign' after there were claims that its spies are penetrating Western infrastructure.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that alerts issued by the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were intended to promote their intelligence alliance, known as the Five Eyes - and that it was Washington that was guilty of hacking.
The allegations were "a collective disinformation campaign of the Five Eyes coalition countries", she said.
"The United States is the empire of hacking," Mao said.
Earlier, Western intelligence agencies and Microsoft said that a state-sponsored Chinese hacking group has been spying on a wide range of US critical infrastructure organizations, from telecommunications to transportation hubs.
In a report on Wednesday, Microsoft highlighted Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean with a vital military outpost, as one of the targets of the allegedly Chinese state-backed hackers.
Although Chinese spies have long been active online against the United States and its allies, Volt Typhoon has raised particular concerns because of its focus on critical infrastructure, including communications links that tie the United States to the Pacific, analysts say.
The group's focus on stealthiness is also drawing attention.
Cybersecurity company Secureworks, which said it has responded to at least three Volt Typhoon hacks, described the group as working consistently to cover its tracks.
The company also backed Western assessments of the group's origins, saying that the hacker group, which it nicknamed "Bronze Silhouette," likely operates on behalf of Beijing.
Secureworks - an arm of Dell Technologies' - said that Chinese spies were upping their game in response to “likely increased pressure from (Chinese) leadership to avoid public scrutiny of its cyberespionage activity."
(With inputs from agencies)
