US Navy hit by Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaign: Official

Suspected Chinese hackers allegedly breached the US Navy as part of a broader campaign that cybersecurity experts believe was intended to disrupt communications in the Pacific region ahead of a possible crisis. US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told CNBC  that the Navy was impacted by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group dubbed Volt Typhoon, which has been accused of breaching government, communications, manufacturing and IT organizations.

Microsoft, which named the group and warned of the breaches on Wednesday, said the hackers had gained access to targets in the US and Guam, which is home to a key US military installation in the Pacific. Microsoft said it had “moderate confidence” the breaches were carried out in preparation to upend communications in the event of a future crisis.

The firm’s disclo-sure came amid mounting concerns that China might take military action to enforce its claim to Taiwan. The US Navy didn’t respond for comment. China denied the hacking accusations. “We noted this extremely unprofessional report – a patchwork with a broken chain of evidence,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.