US law enforcement has disrupted a second major Chinese hacking group nicknamed “Flax Typhoon”, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday, wresting thousands of compromised devices from its grasp.
Speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Washington, Wray said Flax Typhoon was being run by a Chinese company called the Integrity Technology Group that posed as an IT firm but also “collected intelligence and performed reconnaissance for Chinese government security agencies”.
Representatives for China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A previously known hacking group dubbed “Volt Typhoon” has been the subject of increasing concern by Western officials since it was first identified last year as the cyber sabotage group focused on establishing a foothold in critical US infrastructure.
US officials have said it is a China-backed group, while Beijing has said it is a ransomware gang.