A hacker group believed to be linked to the Chinese government has infiltrated the network of the National Guard in the U.S. and has been monitoring internal information for about 9 months.
NBC News reported on the 15th (local time) that the U.S. Department of Defense has determined that the Chinese hacker organization "Salt Typhoon" infiltrated the National Guard network of a U.S. state from March to December last year. This information was included in an internal document prepared by the Department of Homeland Security in June this year, which was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the citizen group "Property of the People" and provided to NBC.
The National Guard is a military organization under each state government, performing roles such as disaster relief or maintaining public order during peacetime, and comes under federal command in emergencies.
NBC News noted that while the specific extent of the damage from this hacking has not been confirmed, it is possible that sensitive military and law enforcement-related information has been leaked.
"Salt Typhoon" is known as a cyber attack organization linked to the Ministry of State Security of China (MSS). They have been revealed to have infiltrated major telecommunications companies and critical communication infrastructure within the U.S. last year, and are regarded as one of the most extensive cyber espionage activities against the U.S.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a reward of up to $10 million (about 1.39 billion won) for information leading to individuals related to Salt Typhoon.
In response to NBC's inquiry, the U.S. Department of Defense has not provided a separate statement, while a spokesperson for the National Guard Bureau (NGB), the federal agency overseeing the National Guard, confirmed only that a hacking attack occurred and that an investigation is ongoing.