Group of Hackers from China Conduct Cyberattack on Taiwan Government Agencies

Introduction

A group of hackers dubbed “Linen Typhoon” based in China carried out a cyberattack on dozens of government agencies and key factories in Taiwan for spying purposes, according to the Microsoft information and software company.

Microsoft said that the Linen Typhoon Group has been active since mid-2021 and has “targeted government and educational institutions, strategic factories, and information technology organizations in Taiwan,” stressing that its “headquarters is located in China.”

Hacking Operations

Taipei accuses Beijing of spying on it through cyberattacks on government networks. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on its return.

Recorded transactions by Microsoft indicate the intention of the hackers “to spy on and maintain access to the data of a wide range of companies for as long as possible.”

Scope of the Attacks

However, Microsoft did not see the transition of “Linen Typhoon” to the stage of realizing the “ultimate goals” of the spy campaign.

The American group pointed to other “victims” of the Flax Typhoon not only in Taiwan, but also in Southeast Asia, North America and Africa.

In July, the giant company reported that intelligence-seeking hackers had hacked into the email accounts of some US government agencies, and the Washington Post then quoted US officials as saying State Department mail was among the hacks.

The attack was attributed to the Storm-0558 group, which specializes in “espionage and data theft.”