A Chinese language nationwide was arrested in Milan, Italy, final week for allegedly being linked to the state-sponsored Silk Hurricane hacking group, which liable for cyberattacks towards American organizations and authorities businesses.
In line with Italian media ANSAthe 33-year-old man, Xu Zewei, was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on July third after arriving on a flight from China. Italian police arrested the suspect on a global warrant from the U.S. authorities.
ANSA stories that Xu is accused of being linked to the Chinese language state-sponsored Silk Hurricane hacking group, aka Hafnium, which has been liable for a variety of cyberespionage assaults towards the U.S. and different nations.
Specifically, Italian media stories that Xu is linked to the 2020 Silk Hurricane cyberattacks on infectious illness researchers and healthcare organizations, which aimed to steal knowledge on anti-COVID vaccines.
“These actors have been noticed making an attempt to establish and illicitly acquire worthwhile mental property (IP) and public well being knowledge associated to vaccines, remedies, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related analysis,” learn the joint advisory.
The hacking group has additionally been linked to more moderen cyberespionage campaigns, together with these on the U.S. Treasury’s Workplace of International Belongings Management (OFAC) and the Committee on International Funding.
In March, Microsoft reported that Silk Hurricane had begun concentrating on distant administration instruments and cloud companies in provide chain assaults to realize entry to downstream prospects’ networks.
Xu is at present being held in Busto Arsizio jail with the U.S. searching for extradition to face trial within the States.
Whereas cloud assaults could also be rising extra subtle, attackers nonetheless succeed with surprisingly easy strategies.
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