Microsoft detects China-based cyberattacks targeting U.S.

Yahoo Finance tech editor Dan Howley discusses China-based cyberattacks detected by Microsoft targeted against the U.S.

Video transcript

AKIKO FUJITA: Microsoft is out today with details on cyber attacks detected from a Chinese-based threat targeting US and Guam critical infrastructure. Here with more on the details, we've got Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley. Dan, what are we learning?

DAN HOWLEY: That's right, Akiko. This is, as you said, Chinese-based threat actor. Essentially, what they were doing was targeting a slew of different types of organizations and different types of facilities, whether that's communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government. It's basically a type of attack that is difficult to detect.

It goes through small offices and network equipment to help avoid detection. And Microsoft, again, saying that this is a China-based threat actor, though not specifically the Chinese government. Just because it's based in a country, doesn't mean it's from that country.

Microsoft calling this Vault Typhoon, and saying that their Microsoft Defender Antivirus helps to detect things along these lines. And that's where they're getting this information from. But yeah, this is one of the stories that you're going to continue to hear. Obviously, some different groups are going to be continuing to attack different types of infrastructure. And this is a clear case of that.