A Chinese language nationwide was arrested in Milan, Italy, final week for allegedly being linked to the state-sponsored Silk Hurricane hacking group, which answerable for cyberattacks towards American organizations and authorities businesses.
In line with Italian media ANSA, the 33-year-old man, Xu Zewei, was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on July third after arriving on a flight from China. Italian police arrested the suspect on a global warrant from the U.S. authorities.
ANSA reviews that Xu is accused of being linked to the Chinese language state-sponsored Silk Hurricane hacking group, aka Hafnium, which has been answerable for a variety of cyberespionage assaults towards the U.S. and different international locations.
Specifically, Italian media reviews that Xu is linked to the 2020 Silk Hurricane cyberattacks on infectious illness researchers and healthcare organizations, which aimed to steal information on anti-COVID vaccines.
“These actors have been noticed trying to determine and illicitly acquire priceless mental property (IP) and public well being information associated to vaccines, therapies, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related analysis,” learn the joint advisory.
The hacking group has additionally been linked to newer cyberespionage campaigns, together with these on the U.S. Treasury’s Workplace of International Property Management (OFAC) and the Committee on International Funding.
In March, Microsoft reported that Silk Hurricane had begun focusing on distant administration instruments and cloud providers in provide chain assaults to realize entry to downstream clients’ networks.
Xu is presently being held in Busto Arsizio jail with the U.S. in search of extradition to face trial within the States.
Whereas cloud assaults could also be rising extra refined, attackers nonetheless succeed with surprisingly easy strategies.
Drawing from Wiz’s detections throughout hundreds of organizations, this report reveals 8 key strategies utilized by cloud-fluent risk actors.
