FBI Warns: Chinese Hacker Salt Typhoon Retas 200 US Companies In Various Industries

FBI Cyber illustration (photo: Doc. fbi)

JAKARTA - The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that a Chinese government-backed hacker group, known as Salt Typhoon, has successfully hacked 200 US companies across the industrial sector. This warning sparked serious concern as hackers were considered active and the FBI even offered a $10 million reward to anyone with information related to the group.

Salt Typhoon had previously stolen last year's attention when breaking into the infrastructure of nine telecommunications and internet providers in the US. However, according to an official FBI statement, their activities did not stop there. In the latest cybersecurity advisory, the FBI confirmed that Salt Typhoon is expanding its actions to hundreds of companies from various sectors, including transportation to hospitality.

FBI Assistant Director Brett Leotherman told The Washington Post that Salt Typhoon's attack pattern differs from conventional cyber espionage. These hackers are allowed to choose their own targets. That is, this attack is much wider, random, and threatens global critical infrastructure in a way that comes out of the norms of ordinary cyber operations," he explained.

Leotherman also warned that the threat of Salt Typhoon is still ongoing today. In a cyber alert video, he asserted: "Beijing's random targeting of private communications demands stronger collaboration with our partners to identify and counter this activity as early as possible."

Salt Typhoon itself is not the group's real name, but the designation given by Microsoft. This group is believed to consist of several companies connected to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Ministry of State Security (MSS). At least three private companies involved have been identified.

In its previous action, Salt Typhoon broke into US telecommunications provider data, stole call logs, personal communications, and even a copy of the official legal request of US law enforcement officials.

With the threats still rolling, the FBI affirms its seriousness in tracking this group and hopes that the huge rewards offered can accelerate the disclosure of the actors behind the attacks.