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fliptop [soylentnews.org] writes:

With the help of tipsters, the cybersecurity agency was able to ‘connect the dots’ to crack what has been called one of the worst telecom hacks in US history [theepochtimes.com]:

Chinese state-backed cyber espionage group Salt Typhoon, which has been in the news for its breach of U.S. telecom firms, was first discovered on the federal network using a different name, according to Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

“We saw it as a separate campaign called another goofy cyber name. And we were able to—based on the visibility that we had within the federal networks—to be able to connect some dots,” she said during a discussion at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Jan. 15.

[...] The earlier identification under a different name enabled officials to connect the dots with the help of tipsters from the private sector, which Easterly said ultimately “led to kind of cracking open the larger Salt Typhoon piece.”

[...] On Jan. 17, the U.S. Treasury Department announced [theepochtimes.com] it was sanctioning Chinese cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co. for “direct involvement in the Salt Typhoon cyber group.”

“Chinese state-backed cyber actors continue to present some of the greatest and most persistent threats to U.S. national security,” the Treasury Department said.

The Treasury Department also sanctioned Shanghai-based hacker Yin Kecheng, who was allegedly behind a major breach of the department’s network in early December. The cyber actor is affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security, the department said.

Previously:

• U.S. Treasury Confirms It Was Breached by China-Backed Hackers [soylentnews.org]
• A 9th Telecoms Firm Has Been Hit by a Massive Chinese Espionage Campaign, the White House Says [soylentnews.org]
• Wyden Law Would Give FCC Greater Power Over Telecom’s Lax Cybersecurity In Wake Of Ugly Salt Typhoon [soylentnews.org]
• Salt Typhoon’s Cyberstorm Reaches Beyond US Telcos [soylentnews.org]
• Senators Ask Cyber Review Board to Conduct Investigation on Chinese Hack Group [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission