"US Blames China For Microsoft Hacking, Ransomware Attacks as Part of Global Condemnation"
On Monday, the United States and their allies blamed China for exploiting flaws in the Microsoft Exchange Server that enabled worldwide ransomware attacks on tens of thousands of victims. It was part of a multi-front response Monday from the European Union, NATO U.S. intelligence partners that included the announcement of charges against four Chinese hackers that the Justice Department said worked on behalf of Beijing to breach U.S. companies and institutions over seven years. For the first time, the U.S. government also accused the Chinese government of employing criminal hackers who have conducted criminal attacks. The United States government agencies also released a technical report Monday that warned of China's ongoing appetite for targeting the defense, medical, semiconductor, and other industries to steal intellectual property. A senior administration official stated that "no one action can change China's behavior in cyberspace, and neither can just one country acting on its own." He also said that "our cooperation with the EU, NATO, and the Five Eyes countries in this effort will allow us to enhance and increase information sharing, including cyber threat intel and network defense information with public and private stakeholders, and expand diplomatic engagement to strengthen our collective cyber resilience and security cooperation." Microsoft itself attributed the Exchange Server attack to Chinese government hackers in March. The administration official said the delay in the U.S. government action came because the administration wanted to be sure about its attribution and combine it with the technical report release and present an allied front. China has denied responsibility for the Microsoft breach.