US FBI seizes Chinese hacker "Typhoon" tools, Taiwan's universities and critical infrastructure have been targeted

The FBI has seized a set of scanning and phishing tools used by a hacker group. U.S. officials pointed out that the hacker group is related to the Chinese government and has launched destructive cyber operations in the United States and overseas. The targets include the power industry, academia and critical infrastructure, including universities and critical infrastructure companies in Taiwan.

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of these tools on the 7th. This is the latest crackdown taken by U.S. law enforcement agencies in recent years against the widespread hacking campaign known as Flax Typhoon.

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The tools involved in the case are named "Microscan" and "FishHub" and were used by hackers to scan, phishing and hack attacks on targets such as critical infrastructure in the United States and foreign countries. According to the investigation, the entities targeted by these tools include an unnamed U.S. power company, airports in Japan and Poland, a multinational non-governmental organization, and more specifically targeted universities and colleges in Taiwan, as well as Taiwan’s critical infrastructure companies for hacking attacks.

FBI and Justice Department officials said this latest operation has disabled these tools and dealt a serious blow to the hacking operation.

"Our goal is to remove the capabilities of threat actors. We target their infrastructure, their funding and their tools," Jason Bilnoski, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division, told The Associated Press. He also blasted the hacker operation as "wanton and reckless."

These tools are operated by a Chinese information security company called Integrity Technology Group. The FBI has stated that the company has close ties with the Chinese government and is the true identity of Typhoon Lin.

In September 2024, the FBI announced that it had cracked a botnet related to "Typhoon Ma". The network installed malware on more than 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders, and home and office routers, creating a large botnet of infected computers. This botnet is used to facilitate cybercrime, such as stealing sensitive information from victims' networks.

Brett Lally, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's San Diego Field Office, said that authorities will continue to monitor any means the company may use to rebuild its infrastructure. "What impact this wave of sabotage will have on their ability to operate as a Chinese company deserves follow-up observation."