Technology

Undeterred Chinese hackers continue to challenge America. Warning issued after Microsoft’s mail server program hacked

The US government has issued an official warning after Microsoft announced through a blog post that it has caught China hacking into its mail and calendar program – Exchange.

The Microsoft president, Tom Burt admitted that the hackers have successfully penetrated a wide range of American targets, including disease researchers, law firms and defense contractors. Microsoft has also said that the hacker group targeting American interests is known only as “perpetrator”.

“Today, we’re sharing information about a state-sponsored threat actor identified by the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) that we are calling Hafnium. Hafnium operates from China, and this is the first time we’re discussing its activity. It is a highly skilled and sophisticated actor”, said the Microsoft Vice President.

With the cyber-attack, hackers didn’t just get access to the victims’ emails and calendar invitations but their entire networks, Microsoft said.

A latest software update is intended to block the hackers and has led the CISA – US’s premier cybersecurity agency to issue a rare command for all government networks to take the necessary measures by installing the updates.

According to the agency, the move was needed because, the hackers were able “to gain persistent system access.” All government agencies have been given the deadline for Friday to download the latest software update.

The development comes in the wake of the SolarWinds crises that continues to unfold in which, Russian hackers hacked nine US federal agencies and the hacking of the NSA’s cyber weapons that continued for years.

Read More: Two Chinese hackers caught for stealing the COVID-19 research information from US biotech firms

Sponsored
Ahsan Zafeer

A digital marketing professional specializing in content-based functional areas - Ahsan Zafeer is driven by a never-ending passion for developing, nurturing, and strategizing key content aspects. He writes extensively on tech, digital marketing, SEO, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. He also serves as a digital marketing strategist and freelance consultant for globally oriented organizations. He tweets @AhsanZafeer

Share
Published by
Ahsan Zafeer

Recent Posts

Yahoo Surprises Users with Its Latest Android Launcher

Third-party apps have long been a staple of the Android ecosystem, but their appeal has…

1 hour ago

Phase-II Review of PTCL-Telenor Deal Finalized by CCP

ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has completed its Phase-II review of Pakistan Telecommunication…

1 hour ago

Xiaomi’s SU7 Achieves New Production Record, Driving Q3 Growth

Xiaomi has shattered records by producing 100,000 vehicles in just 230 days. This is nearly…

3 hours ago

Teachers Can Now Access OpenAI’s Free AI Course

OpenAI, in collaboration with nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, announced on Wednesday the launch of…

4 hours ago

WhatsApp-Inspired Updates Under Testing in Google Messages

Google is exploring a revamped image-sharing interface in its Messages app, taking cues from WhatsApp…

4 hours ago

Create AI Video Backgrounds with YouTube Shorts’ Dream Screen

When it comes to online video streaming, YouTube is among the most well-known options. Every…

4 hours ago