Chinese malware targeting critical infrastructure, Microsoft and U.S. government warn

Microsoft security researchers have unearthed a Chinese-sponsored hacking campaign targeting critical infrastructure in Guam and other unspecified locations within the United States, the tech giant warned on Wednesday. The hacker, code-named "Volt Typhoon,"  has been active since mid-2021 and "could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during future crises."

Microsoft has not detected any offensive attacks, but noted Chinese intelligence and military hackers routinely prioritize espionage and the gathering of information, rather than destruction.

U.S. federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies including the FBI, NSA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a bulletin, Wednesday, outlining the actor's ongoing operational playbook, as well as a roadmap of code that enables possible victims to detect the intruder.