The spy team known as Volt Typhoon, reportedly affiliated with the Chinese government, has allegedly breached the emergency services network of a significant US city and has been observed investigating telecommunications providers in the United States.

As detailed in a report by industrial cybersecurity firm Dragos, this group has been engaged in reconnaissance and data collection activities targeting “multiple” American electric companies since early 2023. More recently, their focus appears to have shifted towards emergency management services, including telecommunications and satellite operations.

These targets are strategically chosen, indicating a deliberate approach rather than indiscriminate action. Dragos CEO Robert Lee emphasized the significance of these targets during a press briefing, stating, “The concern is the targets they pick across telecommunications, and electric power generation and distribution — these are very strategic targets. It’s not a spray and pray. It is specifically looking at those sites that would be of strategic value to an adversary trying to hurt or cripple US infrastructure.”