FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Wednesday that the agency has successfully disrupted the operations of “Flax Typhoon,” a Chinese hacking group that was targeting devices across the U.S. Wray shared the details during his speech at the Aspen Cyber Summit, emphasizing that this was a significant step in the FBI’s ongoing efforts to combat Chinese cyber threats.
Wray explained that Flax Typhoon had compromised thousands of devices, creating a botnet to launch cyberattacks. These devices, which ranged from cameras to digital storage systems, were widely distributed across the U.S. and were used to route malicious traffic. The hacking group is tied to a Chinese company called Integrity Technology Group, which Wray said was working covertly for the Chinese government under the guise of a legitimate IT firm.
During the FBI’s efforts to neutralize the botnet, Flax Typhoon launched a DDOS attack before abandoning the compromised network. Wray noted that this was a setback for the hackers but just one step in a longer battle. The tactics employed by Flax Typhoon closely resemble those of “Volt Typhoon,” another Chinese hacking group that was exposed last year after infiltrating critical American infrastructure.
The ongoing hacking attempts are part of a broader cyber struggle between the U.S. and China, with Wray linking the attacks to the growing tensions over Taiwan. Chinese officials, however, have denied any government involvement in these hacking operations.
Wray assured the public that the FBI would continue prioritizing the disruption of these hacking groups as the global cyber threat landscape continues to evolve.
