March 20, 2024 at 08:57AM
Government agencies in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are warning critical infrastructure entities of the threat posed by Chinese state-sponsored group, Volt Typhoon. Following a February advisory, the agencies are offering guidance on defending against the group’s advanced persistent threat (APT) activities, emphasizing cybersecurity, supply chain security, and incident response planning.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
1. Government agencies in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have warned critical infrastructure entities about the threat posed by Volt Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group.
2. The Five Eyes agencies are providing guidance on how critical infrastructure entities can defend against the threat of Volt Typhoon, particularly following a February CISA advisory on the group’s activities.
3. The advisory emphasizes the importance of empowering cybersecurity teams within critical infrastructure organizations to make informed resourcing decisions, apply detection and hardening best practices, and develop comprehensive information security plans.
4. It is noted that Volt Typhoon does not rely on malware to maintain access to networks and evade detection, highlighting the need for a multifaceted approach to protection.
5. Smaller organizations without a dedicated cybersecurity team are advised to obtain managed security services.
6. Organizations are encouraged to secure their supply chain, establish strong vendor risk management processes, and ensure due diligence in procurement.
7. Implementation of incident response plans, regular review and updating, and immediate reporting of incidents are recommended.
8. It is urged that critical infrastructure organization leaders read the guidance and apply the recommendations to defend against Volt Typhoon and similar threats.