(TargetDailyNews.com) – A cyberattack campaign called “Volt Typhoon” from China broke into critical U.S. infrastructure in April, and true to form, the Communist Chinese government is trying to say it never happened, and it’s just a story made up by the United States.
In April U.S. officials brought the problem right to the Chinese government in Beijing, according to U.S. Ambassador (for digital policy) Nathaniel Fick. He said, “We raised it directly with the Chinese government at very senior levels” and made it clear the U.S. won’t tolerate that kind of attack and escalation it represents.
In retaliation, China turned it around and blamed the U.S. for “disinformation.” China has an organization called the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC), which the country describes as the only specialist group of the kind in China. It’s responsible for ferreting out cyberattacks and dangerous malware programs and responding rapidly.
A report from CVERC claims the “Volt Typhoon” attack on U.S. facilities did not happen, and it was just the United States trying to intimidate and frighten its own citizens by making China look like a villain. The report claims “U.S. intelligence abuse their power” and mislead cybersecurity experts, Congress, and the public in order to silence what it calls “domestic opponents.”
In plain terms, the bully is claiming to be the victim.
It is not known how many U.S. companies or infrastructure installations were directly affected by Volt Typhoon, but some experts say it is probably more than is known. According to Brandon Wales of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, whatever figure experts make a guess at is “likely an underestimate.” He said China has been attacking U.S. digital systems widely and for a long time.
Media have been reporting Chinese digital incursions for years; these attacks have broken into systems like municipal wastewater treatment plants and other systems that are critically important for business and everyday life. Hackers are also going after politicians. In 2020, Google and Microsoft reported that one Chinese hacker syndicate had gotten a hold of the emails of President Joe Biden and his campaign staff.
The fact-checking site “Check Your Fact” evaluated China’s claims that the U.S. made up the Volt Typhoon story and called them “misleading.” It said two of the three companies China cited to bolster its claim said themselves that China’s report misrepresented their statements.
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