(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hwa-Seop Lim: NBC News reported on the 15th (local time) that the U.S. Department of Defense has identified that a hacker group, “Bolt Typhoon,” believed to be associated with the Chinese government, hacked into a state National Guard network in the United States and accessed it for about nine months from March to December last year.
The National Guard is a military organization held by each state government, usually involved in law enforcement or disaster relief activities, but under federal command in emergencies.
It is not precisely known what kind of information was leaked from the National Guard due to this hacking, but according to NBC News, there is a possibility that sensitive military or law enforcement-related information was included.
NBC News explained that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security document created in June this year contained the results of an investigation by the Department of Defense on the matter.
This document was obtained through a Freedom of Information request by a citizen group advocating for national security transparency called “Property of the People” and then provided to NBC News.
Bolt Typhoon is a hacker group suspected of being operated by the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), and it was revealed in the second half of last year that they had infiltrated key telecommunications infrastructure, including major telecommunications company networks within the U.S.
This was one of the most extensive cyber-espionage activities against the United States.
The FBI has offered a reward of $10 million (13.9 billion won) for information on individuals associated with this group.
In response to NBC News’s inquiry, the Department of Defense did not respond, and a spokesperson for the National Guard Bureau (NGB), the federal agency overseeing the National Guard, confirmed that there was a hacking attack and an investigation is underway but did not disclose any further details.