In a strong rebuttal, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. has rejected claims that recent cyberattacks on Microsoft’s SharePoint servers were orchestrated from the Chinese mainland.
Microsoft’s Threat: In a Tuesday blog post, Microsoft revealed that two named Chinese nation-state actors—Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon—along with a third group based in China, exploited a zero-day vulnerability in on-premises SharePoint servers. These attacks targeted organizations relying on SharePoint for document sharing and internal collaboration.
China’s Response: Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., stressed that cyber threats are a universal challenge. “China is also a victim of such attacks,” Liu said, reaffirming China’s “consistent and clear” stance against all forms of cyberattacks and cybercrime. He added, “We firmly oppose smearing others without solid evidence.”
Patch and Protect: Over the weekend, Microsoft issued comprehensive security updates for all supported versions of SharePoint Server, including Subscription Edition, 2019, and 2016. The company clarified that the online SharePoint service was unaffected by the flaw.
Next Steps: As digital collaborations deepen, staying on top of security updates is crucial. Organizations are urged to apply patches promptly and monitor for unusual activity to safeguard sensitive information.
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China rejects accusations of links to Microsoft SharePoint attack
cgtn.com
