Sophos Firewall Fiasco: US Names Chinese Hackers Behind Massive 2020 Breach
The US Treasury and Justice Departments have named a Chinese company and employee as culprits behind the 2020 exploit of a zero-day flaw in Sophos firewalls. Guan Tianfeng, a security researcher at Sichuan Silence, allegedly led the attack, compromising 81,000 firewalls, including one used by a US government agency.
Hot Take:
**_When it comes to cybersecurity, Guan Tianfeng and his ‘Silent’ pals from Sichuan prove that some people just love playing with fire(walls). But hey, at least their company has an epic name!_**
Key Points:
– The US named a Chinese company, Sichuan Silence, and employee Guan Tianfeng in the 2020 Sophos firewall breach.
– A zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2020-12271, was exploited, compromising 81,000 firewalls, including a US government agency’s.
– Guan is accused of delivering malware via a fake domain and attempted ransomware modifications.
– The US Treasury sanctioned Guan and Sichuan Silence, blocking US businesses from associating with them.
– A $10 million reward is offered for info leading to Guan’s capture or identification of others engaged in malicious cyber activities.