UNITED STATES — According to the announcement made by Microsoft on Tuesday night, Chinese hackers involved in intelligence collection have targeted specific email accounts of US government agencies resulting in the data breach of about 25 organizations, including government agencies. New York Times reports.
The hackers used forged authentication tokens to gain access to individual email accounts, and at least some of the accounts had been compromised for a month before the breach was detected.
Microsoft Executive Vice President, Charlie Bell, called the attack sophisticated and targeted, suggesting that the Chinese hacking group was either part of Beijing’s intelligence service or working for it.
The breach has raised concerns about the security of cloud computing, given that the vulnerability, which was exploited, appeared to be in Microsoft's cloud security. It is unclear how much data was taken, but no classified networks were affected, according to the White House’s National Security Council spokesman, Adam Hodge.
Cloud servers are considered more secure than traditional IT infrastructure as they provide better access to information and improved security, but this attack has exposed significant cybersecurity gaps in Microsoft’s defenses.
While the Chinese hacking group is known for one of the most formidable intelligence hacking operations in the world, this recent attack has heightened tensions between the US and China, emphasizing the need for continuing discussions on increased security protocols and deterrence measures to prevent future cyber attacks.
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