FBI Disrupts Second Chinese Hacking Group 'Flax Typhoon' Botnet of 260,000 Devices

Sep 18, 2024, 06:40 PM

The FBI has disrupted a second major Chinese hacking group known as 'Flax Typhoon,' which was operated by a company posing as an IT firm but collecting intelligence for Chinese state agencies. The operation, announced by FBI Director Christopher Wray at the Aspen Cyber Summit, took control of a botnet comprising 260,000 Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This botnet targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S. and other countries, compromising devices such as routers and firewalls. The FBI-led, court-authorized operation, in collaboration with other U.S. agencies including the NSA, aimed to neutralize the threat posed by the Chinese government-backed hackers, who were also spying on and stealing data from universities, government agencies, and other organizations.