New US hacking tool found, stealing a mass of critical data around the world

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Recently, Qihoo 360, a Chinese cybersecuritycompany, has released a report on US National Security Agency (NSA)'scyberattacks against Chinese institutions.

According to the report,  a hacking groupknown as APT-C-40 is affiliated with the US government and has been secretlyattacking China’s leading companies, governments, research institutes andinfrastructures over the past decade. Chinese cybersecurity experts for thefirst time disclosed a typical weapon used by US National Security Agency (NSA)to target China. The weapon, which is called quantum technology, is themost powerful cyberattack tool of the NSA, and also one of its most importantcapability systems for cyber intelligence warfare. The Quantum attacksystem  can be used to launch cyberattacks against all internet usersaround the world who access US websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube andAmazon. Chinese social media platforms such as QQ, a service of TencentHoldings, are also among the US targets.  The data stolen by the NSA around the world includesnetwork profiles, account numbers and passwords, office and private documents,databases, online friends' information, communications information, emails,real-time data from cameras and microphones.

Undifferentiatedattack

The attacks are undifferentiated.In addition to China, US allies are also the targets of NSA's cyberattacks.According to Wikileaks, the US NationalSecurity Agency (NSA) spied on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, NicolasSarkozy and Francois Hollande in 2006-12. In 2013 the NSAwas accused of spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In 2021, many mediaoutlets say NSA hadeavesdropped on Danish underwater internet cables from 2012 to 2014 to spy ontop politicians in Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.

Newcharacteristics of the US cyberattacks

According to Chinese security experts, there are sixmajor changes of US cyberattack. First, NSA and CIA has built a large-scaleorganized cyber army. Second, US attack areas have expanded from computers andinformation networks to various key information infrastructures for bothmilitary and civilian uses. Third, the means of attacks have becomediversified, including not only Trojan horses and viruses, but also loopholes,backdoors and counterfeit servers. Fourth, they previously aimed to show offhacking skills or seek industrial or economic interests through illegitimatemeans, but now they target China's key information infrastructure and major nationalsecrets. Fifth, threats are difficult to prevent in advance and can be foundeverywhere. Sixth, there have been greater harms. In peacetime, they stealnational secrets, while in wartime, they steal information and createturmoil.