US disrupts Chinese hacking tools as 7 govts warn of PRC spies stealing sensitive data worldwide

The FBI announced that it has seized seven web domains linked to hacking tools allegedly operated by a Chinese security firm called Integrity Technology Group and used by Beijing-backed cyber operatives to scan a South Carolina power company's network and other critical infrastructure systems for vulnerabilities. In a subsequent advisory, the FBI and other government agencies in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain warned that Chinese government-linked attackers, enabled by Integrity Tech, are using botnets, malware, and other intrusion tools to target organizations worldwide and steal sensitive data, including from US critical infrastructure networks. “These actors exploit vulnerabilities by using scanning tools, cross-site scripting attacks, and password spraying on Microsoft Exchange servers, while establishing persistence through VPN software and exfiltrating emails and credentials using scripts,” according to the security alert. …