Did US use Microsoft bugs to spy on China's military?
Microsoft Corp
.'s email servers to steal military data and carry out cyberattacks on its defense sector, Bloomberg reported.
The Cyber Security Association of China, a little-known entity backed by the Cyberspace Administration of China, said Friday that US actors had been linked to two major cyberattacks on Chinese military companies. The attackers allegedly exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange to control the servers of a key defense-sector company for nearly a year, it said.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
Data Analytics
MCA
Product Management
Design Thinking
CXO
Leadership
Artificial Intelligence
Management
Degree
Others
Digital Marketing
healthcare
Public Policy
Cybersecurity
PGDM
Project Management
Healthcare
Finance
Data Science
Technology
MBA
others
Operations Management
Data Science
Skills you'll gain:
Data Analysis & Visualization
Predictive Analytics & Machine Learning
Business Intelligence & Data-Driven Decision Making
Analytics Strategy & Implementation
Duration:
12 Weeks
Indian School of Business
Applied Business Analytics
Starts on
Jun 13, 2024
Get Details
Washington-based Microsoft has repeatedly blamed China for major cyber incidents tied to its software. In 2021, an alleged Chinese campaign compromised tens of thousands of Microsoft Exchange servers. In 2023, another alleged Chinese breach of Exchange impacted senior US officials' email accounts, prompting a US government review that accused Microsoft of a 'cascade of security failures.' Last month, Microsoft also said state-backed Chinese hacking groups exploited flaws in its SharePoint file-sharing software.
'Every nation state in the world carries out offensive cybersecurity campaigns against others,' said Jon Clay, vice president of threat intelligence at Trend Micro. 'I'm assuming at this point, because of the recent SharePoint vulnerability that Microsoft attributed to China, they are coming out and saying, hey, the US has been targeting us with exploits.'
The US embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.
Live Events
Ben Read, director of strategic threat intelligence at Wiz.io, noted in a recent blog that China increasingly uses 'public attribution of cyber activities' to pressure Taiwan and shape 'the international dialogue around cybersecurity.' Earlier this year, Beijing accused Taiwan of multiple cyberattacks.
In April, China alleged that three NSA employees hacked the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, targeting systems containing personal information of event participants. While Washington has often named alleged Chinese hackers and filed charges against them, Beijing has historically avoided directly accusing US spies, Bloomberg said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
24 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Adani Group stocks trade weak; Adani Green, Power, Enterprises down upto 3%
Adani Group stocks in focus: Shares of Adani Group companies were under pressure, falling by up to 3 per cent on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade due to overall weakness in the equity market. Indian equity indices were trading lower on Thursday after US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the US, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian crude oil. Adani Green Energy, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Enterprises, Adani Power, ACC and Adani Energy Solutions were down in the range of 1 per cent to 3 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade. By comparison, the BSE Sensex was down 0.61 per cent at 80,050 at 11:10 AM. CATCH STOCK MARKET LIVE UPDATES TODAY In the past one month, these stocks have underperformed the market by falling between 6 per cent and 12 per cent, as against 4 per cent decline in the benchmark index. Among the individual stocks, Adani Enterprises has slipped 2.6 per cent to ₹2,240.20 in intra-day trade today. The stock price of Adani Group flagship company is quoting at its lowest level since May 9, 2025. In the past month, the stock has corrected 12 per cent. For April to June 2025 quarter (Q1FY26), Adani Enterprises reported a 50 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) decline in its consolidated profit after tax at ₹734 crore, against ₹1,458 crore in Q1FY25. Consolidated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) down 12 per cent Y-o-Y to ₹3,786 crore. Total income decreased 14 per cent Y-o-Y at ₹22,437 crore. However, the company's Ebitda from incubating businesses has increased by 5 per cent to ₹2,800 crore on Y-o-Y basis and contributes 74 per cent to Q1FY26 results. Adani Enterprises said the company shall witness operationalization of the large infra assets during this fiscal year reflecting its project execution capabilities, which should result in Ebitda unlock and long-term value creation. This performance has been led by the company's Airports business, which delivered an exceptional 61 per cent Y-o-Y growth in Ebitda. Meanwhile, global economic growth is expected to moderate from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 2.8 per cent in 2025, before recovering to 3 per cent in 2026. The combined effects of new trade restrictions, their spillover through global trade linkages, and rising uncertainty may dampen business sentiment and pace of economic recovery. Financial market volatility has raised concerns about extreme vulnerabilities, particularly in countries grappling with persistent inflation and signs of economic slowdown, Adani Enterprises said in its FY25 annual report. Meanwhile, shares of Adani Energy Solutions were down 2 per cent to ₹778.25 on the BSE in intra-day trade. In the past two trading days, the stock declined 3 per cent as Abu Dhabi-based Envestcom Holding RSC Ltd offloaded 22 million shares of Adani Energy Solutions on Wednesday, via open market, according to bulk deal data from the exchanges. While 11 million shares were sold on the NSE, the remaining 10.98 million shares were offloaded on the BSE at an average price of ₹790 per share, data shows. The names of buyers are not ascertained immediately. As of June 2025, Envestcom held 32.18 million shares or 2.68 per cent stake in Adani Energy Solutions, the shareholding pattern data shows. Meanwhile, shares of Adani Power has moved higher by 2 per cent to Rs 565.80 from its intra-day low after the company said it will set up a 2,400 MW ultra-supercritical power plant at Village Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district of Bihar at an investment of up to $3 billion and supply the entire net capacity of 2,274 MW to Bihar Utilities. Adani Power said the company has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL) to supply 2,274 MW power to North Bihar Power Distribution Company (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company (SBPDCL) from a 2,400 MW thermal power project to be developed at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur District of Bihar.
Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
ANZ Executive Retires Months After Tasked to Revamp Bank Culture
(Bloomberg) -- ANZ Group Holdings Ltd. senior executive Mark Evans has retired from banking, several months after taking on the task to improve the firm's culture and risk management shortcomings. Evans, who was appointed in April to a new role as head of its non-financial risk program delivery reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, has left ANZ after 16 years, a spokesperson for the Melbourne-based lender said in response to queries from Bloomberg. ANZ is in the process of recruiting for the role, and Louise Higgins will be the acting head in the interim, according to the spokesperson. The departure comes as McKinsey & Co. conducts a wide-ranging review after ANZ was slapped with an additional A$250 million ($163 million) capital requirement by the banking regulator in April. An earlier examination by consultant Oliver Wyman and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's long-standing concerns led ANZ to appoint a number of executives to boost its risk culture. 'Improving the bank's non-financial risk management practices is a key priority for ANZ,' the spokesperson said. Evans, a former ANZ chief compliance officer, recently relocated to Sydney from Singapore. He spent three years there as the city-state's country head as well as head of Southeast Asia, India and Middle East. New CEO Nuno Matos has said risk management is among his top priorities. His predecessor Shayne Elliott was plagued over the last two years by scandals, including an ongoing investigation by the securities regulator into the firm's role in government bond sales. Since Matos started his job in May, there have been a flurry of management changes. Recent key departures include Maile Carnegie, the bank's Australian retail head, who retired on July 1, and technology chief Gerard Florian, who retired this week. More stories like this are available on
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India, Russia discuss rare earth mineral extraction among other areas of industrial cooperation as US targets oil trade
India and Russia on Wednesday discussed industrial cooperation across a range of areas, including rare earth and critical mineral extraction, as India faces increasing pressure over its purchase of Russian oil, with the US announcing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods. The discussions on rare earth minerals come amid China's restrictions on the export of seven rare earths, which has impacted automobile production in India. China dominates the global rare earths market, supplying 85 to 95 per cent of the world's demand. 'Both sides explored opportunities in rare earth and critical mineral extraction, underground coal gasification, and the creation of modern industrial infrastructure,' the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. The Ministry added that key focus areas included cooperation in aerospace science and technology — such as the establishment of a modernised wind tunnel facility, production of small aircraft piston engines, and joint development in carbon fibre technology, additive manufacturing, and 3D printing. DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Alexey Gruzdev, also discussed key areas such as aluminium, fertilisers, and railway transport, alongside capacity building and technology transfer in mining equipment, exploration, and industrial and domestic waste management. 'The meeting concluded with the signing of the Protocol of the 11th Session by both co-chairs, reaffirming the strategic India-Russia partnership and shared commitment to deepen industrial and economic cooperation. The session saw participation from around 80 delegates representing both sides, including senior government officials, domain experts, and industry representatives,' the Ministry said. On Wednesday, the US said it would impose an 'additional 25 per cent ad valorem duty' on Indian goods, over and above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1, to 'deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia's actions in Ukraine,' according to a White House statement. The additional tariffs significantly raise pressure on India, as most of its competitors — such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and China — face lower US tariffs in the range of 19 to 30 per cent. However, India's exports in exempted categories, such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, account for nearly half of its total annual goods exports, which stand at $80 billion. New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) noted that in 2024 alone China purchased $62.6 billion worth of Russian oil — more than India's $52.7 billion. Washington has avoided targeting Beijing, GTRI said, because of China's leverage over critical materials such as gallium, germanium, rare earths, and graphite, which are vital for US defence and technology. 'The US has also overlooked its allies' trade with Russia: the EU imported $39.1 billion worth of Russian goods last year, including $25.2 billion in oil, while the US itself purchased $3.3 billion in strategic materials from Russia. The tariffs are expected to make Indian goods significantly more expensive in the US, with the potential to cut US-bound exports by 40–50 per cent.' Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
