Microsoft foils China's espionage on 29 nations; seizes 42 websites used by hackers

Microsoft on Monday announced that it has foiled the espionage attempts of a state-backed Chinese hacking group by seizing over 42 websites that allegedly gathered intelligence from foreign ministries, think tanks, and human rights organizations from across 29 different countries, including the US.

The tech giant had sought permission from the Virginia federal court for seizing at least 42 web domains that traced back to a prominent Chinese hacking group known as Nickel, or by other names such as APT15 and Vixen Panda, multiple reports revealed on Monday. 

The sites operated in favour of China's geopolitical interests and the Digital Crimes Unit of Microsoft cracked down on it, redirecting the linked traffic to secure the servers. The action "helped us protect existing and future victims while learning more about Nickel's activities," Microsoft stated in a press release.

While the Chinese hacking base targeted both private and public sectors, Microsoft reportedly revealed that its own servers were secure and that the firm did not find any vulnerabilities in Microsoft products linked to the malicious websites. Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has been tracking Nickel since 2016 and has been gathering data about its activities since 2019. 

Corporate vice president of Microsoft, Tom Burt, meanwhile said in a post: "Obtaining control of the malicious websites and redirecting traffic from those sites to Microsoft's secure servers will help us protect existing and future victims while learning more about Nickel's activities."

"Our disruption will not prevent Nickel from continuing other hacking activities, but we do believe we have removed a key piece of the infrastructure the group has been relying on for this latest wave of attacks," he added.

Chinese 'spy' convicted by US court for 'economic espionage'

A Chinese national and Deputy Division Director of the Sixth Bureau of the Jiangsu Province [Ministry of State Security] was convicted by the United States federal jury earlier this month for conspiring to and attempting to commit economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.

The 41-year-old Yanjun Xu became the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited and to ever stand a trial related to an espionage case in the US.

US Department of Justice found the Chinese intelligence officer "guilty on all counts", as he illegally used various aliases that dated back to 2013 to steal the trade secrets of the leading US aviation companies, US Department of Justice’s Office of the public affairs stated in a press release, citing the federal court documents.