Huge cyber attack on Microsoft email services | Israel Today

About 60,000 businesses around the world have been harmed • The technology giant associates the hacker group with the Chinese government and says: "Work to help victims"

• 60,000 businesses were affected

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A cyber attack by a Chinese group called "Hafnium", which Microsoft claims is run by the Chinese government itself, has apparently managed to exploit a weakness in the electronics giant's business e-mail software, infecting at least 60,000 businesses with spyware, including banks, small companies, Government officials, private homes, container stores and more around the globe.

The information about the attack was already provided last Tuesday by Microsoft's Vice President for Customer Security and Trust, but following the announcement and apparently to take full advantage of the hack, the hackers intensified their attacks and also activated automated patching systems to exploit software vulnerabilities. That is possible, before the victims download and install the series of patches and patches that Microsoft released with the discovery of the glitch. 

It is important to note that the current attack is the second major cyber crisis in recent months, after a group of Russian hackers, apparently belonging to Moscow's intelligence agents, infiltrated a large group of US government ministers and various agencies, as well as 100 American companies.

The difference this time is in the intensity of the hack, and in the fact that instead of hiding after the discovery - the hackers only intensified their activity.

Also, the latest case has led to White House announcements urging people to install Microsoft patches.

White House spokeswoman Jen Pasaki issued a statement urging the American public "The White House fears a large number of American victims ... action must be taken now and everything needed to be defended against the attack."

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also expressed concern about the attack.

Meanwhile, Microsoft itself has announced that it is working closely with the US administration and that it is working to help victims who have already been harmed before they were able to download the company's patches and updates.

However, the company did not disclose the extent of the damage and injury caused.

In this context, American sources estimate that this time, too, government officials who used Macrosoft's business server were harmed and infiltrated.

Either way this is the eighth time in the last year that the technology corporation has accused a state of leading a widespread attack on its servers and services.

On the other hand, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman denied his country's involvement as early as Wednesday, saying that "we strongly oppose any illegal cyber activity and act against it."

However US security officials point out that the Chinese attack makes sense: "Take down all the stuff that can be stolen and then sort it out, it's actually a gold mine." 

As mentioned, Microsoft is working to correct the gaps in its defense network, and has released a series of patches that can be downloaded to the servers of its business mail.

In addition, it posted that those who use its cloud service for mail purposes were not harmed.

"In any case, the cyber field, especially of units supported by aggressive governments that want to obtain technology and intelligence information, has risen to a new level of capabilities, and the West is lagging behind in responding to these dangers."