Microsoft blames Chinese hacking group for email service attack

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Microsoft blames Chinese hacking group for email service attack

A sophisticated attack on Microsoft Corp.’s widely used business email software is morphing into a global cybersecurity crisis, as hackers race to infect as many victims as possible before companies can secure their computer systems.

The attack, which Microsoft has said started with a Chinese government-backed hacking group, has so far claimed at least 60,000 known victims globally, according to a former senior U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation.

Many of them appear to be small or medium-sized businesses caught in a wide net the attackers cast as Microsoft worked to shut down the hack.

[Bloomberg]

 

[My_King]

I thought it was the Russians

 

[JohnStarr]

I thought it was the Russians

The Russians influence elections...the Chinese software.

 

[Vorastra]

@s0lar inbound to defend the CCP.

 

[system32]

I thought it was the Russians

Chinese blame Microsoft for releasing insecure software.

Chinese were just using a back door provided by Microsoft.

If Microsoft had any ethics they would pay bug bounty to Chinese.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Im getting tired of the Chinese now

 

[lordnokon]

SO which patch is the correct one hmmmmmmm...

 

[system32]

Im getting tired of the Chinese now

I'm tired of Microsoft releasing insecure software.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

I'm tired of Microsoft releasing insecure software.

True, but they have been fighting viruses every year longer than the Chinese
No, wait

 

[e4et]

Anyone locally hit with this ?

 

[s0lar]

@s0lar inbound to defend the CCP.

Nah, honestly the thing that gets me is where is the evidence? These headlines are loaded with prejudice. Reminds of apartheid news where the suspects were always black if there was not enough evidence.

 

[Gordon_R]

Anyone locally hit with this ?

Mostly in the US, but large range of organisations:

European Banking Authority hit by Microsoft Exchange hack

The EU body is one of the first major organisations to admit falling victim to the global email hack.

www.bbc.com

Initial estimates suggested some 30,000 US organisations may have been affected.

But there were now claims the attack had at least 60,000 known victims, Bloomberg reported, citing an anonymous former US official involved in the investigation.

Microsoft's security officials said Hafnium, "primarily targets entities in the United States", stealing information from organisations such as "infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defence contractors, policy think tanks and NGOs [non-governmental organisations]".

But cyber-security group Huntress said it had seen 300 of its partners' servers affected.

"These companies do not perfectly align with Microsoft's guidance, as some personas are small hotels, an ice-cream company, a kitchen-appliance manufacture, multiple senior-citizen communities and other 'less than sexy' mid-market businesses," it blogged.

It had also discovered affected local government, healthcare, banks and electricity companies.

 

[clickingbuttons]

Nah, honestly the thing that gets me is where is the evidence? These headlines are loaded with prejudice. Reminds of apartheid news where the suspects were always black if there was not enough evidence.

Not so sure about this.

Please point us to a news article where Microsoft blamed a country for hacking and it turned out to be false?

 

[s0lar]

Not so sure about this.

Please point us to a news article where Microsoft blamed a country for hacking and it turned out to be false?

Point me to an article where any state was implicated beyond any doubt. Fancybear spring to mind but still no red hand whatsoever.