China's hacking machine wants your data and knows how to get it

"The Times' story follows last week's FBI warning that the campaign has spread to 600 companies in 80 countries. Nearly two dozen Western security services also co-signed an advisory warning about the intrusions. The big picture: Salt Typhoon is a significant shift for digital warfare. China's hacking machine is no longer just after governments or telecom backbones. It's also scooping up mass troves of personal data."

"Between the lines: Beijing relies not only on government units but also on contractor firms, complicating attribution and diplomatic responses. Last week's advisory tied multiple China-based companies directly to Salt Typhoon operations. What to watch: China is far from the only nation hacking into U.S. systems and spying on Americans. Vladimir Putin's Russia does skilled disinformation and supply chain attacks while Kim Jong-un's North Korea specializes in crypto hacks, IT worker fraud and other cybercrime. Both just attended Chinese President Xi Jinping's military parade."

Salt Typhoon has compromised hundreds of companies across dozens of countries, collecting mass troves of personal American data according to FBI warnings affecting 600 companies in 80 countries and an advisory co-signed by nearly two dozen Western security services. The campaign marks a shift from prior Chinese operations that targeted governments, telecom backbones, or infrastructure. Past incidents include the 2014 OPM breach and the 2021 Microsoft Exchange intrusions. Volt Typhoon focused on disruption of U.S. critical infrastructure rather than data theft. The purpose of collecting large amounts of personal data is unclear, though such data can fuel AI development and enable future cyberattacks. Beijing’s use of contractors complicates attribution and response. Other states including Russia and North Korea continue parallel cyber and disinformation activities.

Read at Axios