Chinese Hackers Breach US Government Email Accounts, Microsoft Reveals

(RTTNews) - Microsoft (MSFT) disclosed on Tuesday night that Chinese hackers, with the intent of collecting intelligence on the United States, gained access to government email accounts.

The attack was targeted, focusing on specific accounts rather than a broad-brush intrusion. Adam Hodge, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, stated that no classified networks were affected, and an assessment of the information taken is still ongoing.

According to Microsoft, approximately 25 organizations, including government agencies, were compromised by the hacking group. The hackers utilized forged authentication tokens to gain access to individual email accounts. Microsoft revealed that the hackers had access to some of the accounts for a month before the breach was detected. The affected organizations and agencies were not identified.

The level of sophistication and specific focus of the attack implies that the Chinese hacking group is either affiliated with Beijing's intelligence agency or operating on its behalf. Charlie Bell, a Microsoft executive vice president, stated in a blog post that the adversary appears to be focused on espionage and gaining access to email systems for intelligence collection.

While the breach may be smaller in scale compared to recent intrusions like the SolarWinds hack, it still poses a significant threat by potentially providing useful information to the Chinese government and its intelligence services. It also adds strain to the already tense relations between the United States and China.

The hackers took advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's cloud security system, which was initially identified by the U.S. government. The government promptly informed Microsoft about the issue. The breach exposed a cybersecurity gap in Microsoft's defenses within the government and raised concerns about the security of cloud computing. The U.S. has been transitioning data to the cloud for better access and improved security, but this incident highlights the need for enhanced protection measures.

The hack comes at a sensitive time in U.S.-China relations, with the Biden administration aiming to ease tensions. It could lead to increased criticism of the administration's handling of Chinese espionage attempts. China has a history of aggressive and capable intelligence hacking operations, with several successful hacks stealing significant amounts of government data over the years.

Microsoft was informed of the intrusion and compromise on June 16, and it has since completed efforts to mitigate the attack. However, government officials are requesting further details about the vulnerability and how it occurred. The company has notified individuals affected by the hack.